GT coach Ashish Nehra and former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina join CSK for mini-reunion ahead of IPL 2023 Final

Gujarat Titans head coach, Ashish Nehra, and the former Chennai Super Kings legend, Suresh Raina were beaming with joy as they were part of a small CSK reunion ahead of the IPL 2023 final. Nehra and Raina were both members of the CSK franchise for a considerable time, with the latter one having a long career with the squad. While Nehra appeared in 20 matches for the four-time IPL champions during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively. During his stint, Nehra took 30 wickets at an average of 19.7. The former Indian bowler has been at the helm of GT for the past two seasons as their coach, with his techniques gaining accolades from both the fans and experts.

Furthermore, Raina scored 400+ runs in seven consecutive seasons to earn the moniker 'Mr IPL' and CSK's 'Chinna Thala', with his lofted inside-out shots getting immortalised into the annals of the IPL folklore. He has hammered 5529  for CSK, which still remains the highest for the franchise and also claimed 109 catches from 205 matches.

Both were beaming as they interacted with Dwayne Bravo, Matthew Hayden, and Stephen Fleming, as well as current players like Deepak Chahar, ahead of the crucial final. Raina stated that every citizen wants Dhoni to win the IPL this year after they defeated GT in Qualifier One, adding that everything the CSK captain touches turns to gold. 

Entire India wants to see Dhoni win the IPL: Raina

Furthermore, the former CSK Southpaw, revealed that opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, recently, told him that all the CSK players are committed and are willing to put themselves on the line just to see their legendary skipper lifting the IPL for the fifth time.

"Look at how they reached the Finals, 14 season 10 finals, I think it’s a great achievement. MS Dhoni kept it simple. He deserves credit and Ruturaj (Gaikwad) had told me that CSK wants to win the title for Dhoni. Entire India wants to see Dhoni win the IPL," Raina was quoted as saying by India Today.

“What we got to see today is that it’s very challenging to beat Chennai on this ground. Everything he touches turns to gold, and that’s why he’s named Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Raina concluded.