'Of course, it was very difficult for us' - CSK CEO on why they didn't pick Suresh Raina in mega auction

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanath has said that it was difficult for the team to leave out Suresh Raina. Raina went unsold after the two-day auction in Bangalore this weekend. The left-hander has played for Chennai for the most part of his IPL career started in 2008. After the suspension of the Men In Yellow in late 2015 on counts of spot-fixing and betting, he played for now-defunct Gujarat Lions for two seasons.

In 2018, he returned to the side and played a crucial role in his team’s title-winning campaign. The 2011 World Cup winner amassed 445 runs in 15 games averaging 37.08 with four fifties in that season. In August 2020, he announced his retirement from international cricket alongside MS Dhoni. He pulled out of the 2020 season due to the COVID19 scare in the team.

Last year, he had a troubled time with the bat as he could only manage to score 160 runs in 12 games at 17.77 with a sole fifty. In November last year, he was released by the Yellow Brigade. Meanwhile, Vishwanath has said that Raina has been one of the consistent performers for the team in the last 12 years.

CSK CEO reasons why they didn’t go for Suresh Raina

“Raina has been one of the most consistent performers for CSK for the last 12 years. Of course, it was very difficult for us, no to have Raina but at the same time, you should also understand that the team composition depends on the form and kind of team which any team would like to have so that’s one of the reasons why we thought he may not fit into this team,” Kasi said in a video shared by Chennai Super Kings on their YouTube channel on Monday.

The CEO has added that the team will miss the former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis in the team. Plessis has played for the team since 2011 and was part of their title-winning campaign last year. This year, they tried to get him back but Royal Challengers Bangalore won the bid at seven crores.

“We will miss him, we will miss Faf who has been with us for the last decade, that’s the process and dynamics of the auction,” he added.