Fans were left confused when auctioneer Charu Sharma did not take name of Suresh Raina when his set number was flashed at the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2023)’s first-ever auction. Placed with Rassie Van de Dussen, Imam-ul-Haq and Evin Lewis, Raina was to go under the hammer in Set number 11 but Charu did not take his name which has raised doubts among the fans. While mame of all other players in Set 11 was taken, Raina was given a miss. Fans don’t know whether it was a mistake on part of the auctioneer or Raina’s name was excluded at the last minute. There is no statement made by Raina or Sri Lanka cricket on this matter.
Also Read | LIVE Updates | Lanka Premier League Auction 2023
Many fans on Twitter feel that Raina’s name was intentionally used by Sri Lanka Cricket to promote their brand. But this observations seems far from truth at the moment. Things can become clear once Raina or SLC release a statement on the same.
Check Raina’s name in the list of 360 players who were to go under the hammer on June 14 in Colombo at first-ever LPL auction:
Raina in as an experienced T20 specialist, who has played more than 250 matches across Indian Premier League and international cricket. Raina is not just a superb batter but also an able off-spinner. His fielding skills are alsp quite handy. After winning IPL 2021 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Raina was not retained by the Super Kings, which came as a big shock for the fans. Raina, who had retired from international cricket in 2020, then announced retirement from IPL as well after not being retained by CSK. That move made him eligible for other franchise-based T20 leagues.
LPL 2023 starts on July 31 which means Raina, if picked in the auction, had enough time to prepare well and raise his fitness levels for the tournament. Raina is called Mr IPL for his consistency. In 205 matches that he played for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions, Raina smashed 5,528 runs and finished as one of the legends of the league. His average in IPL was 32.52 while he struck the the runs at 136.73.
Not to forget, Raina also scored a century and total of 39 fifties in the Indian Premier League. Raina also has a solid T20I record. In 78 T20Is for India, he scored 1604 runs at an average of 29.16 and strike rate of 134.79. He also completed a hundred and 5 fifties in international T20s.
Babar Azam will also play in Lanka Premier League for Colombo Strikers. He is their icon player. Raina was the only player from India who had registered himself in the Lanka Premier League this year. In previous editions, Irfan Pathan has played in this T20 league.
