Xtra Time Web Desk: Three times IPL champions Chennai Super Kings have decided to retain experienced Suresh Raina ahead of the mini auction before the Indian Premier League 2021 season. Although Raina has found favours with the CSK management, it is not the case with Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla and Murali Vijay. The franchise has also decided not to extend the contract with veteran off spinner Harbhajan Singh. The turbanator had two years contract with CSK which got over last season.
Overseas cricketers like Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis has been retained.
There were speculations that Raina will no longer be a part of Chennai Super Kings after he had left the CSK bubble in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the start of the last year’s IPL that moved out of India because of the pandemic. The nature of his departure had irked the franchise hierarchy, although CSK chief N Srinivasan chose to be considerate.
Raina, 34, is CSK’s most successful batsman with 4,527 runs from 164 matches for the franchise. He has retired from international cricket, but the three-time IPL champions still consider him an important cog in their wheel. Chennai had a dismal outing in IPL 2020, failing to qualify for Playoffs last term, finishing seventh.