- By Aalok Sensharma
- Sun, 16 Aug 2020 07:31 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Delhi | Jagran Sports Desk: Moments after former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his bid adieu to international cricket, his long-time colleague and Indian teammate, Suresh Raina also announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday.
"It was nothing but lovely playing with you, @mahi7781. With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you India. Jai Hind!" said Raina, who last played for India against England in 2018 in Leeds, in a post on Instagram.
Raina, who was also a wicket-taker off-spinner, represented India in 18 Tests, 226 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 78 T20 Internationals, scoring 768 at an average of 26.48, 5,615 at an average of 35.31 and 1,604 at an average of 29.16 runs respectively across the three formats of the game.
Raina, who made his international debut for India in 2005 -- just an year after Dhoni, shared a special bond with the former wicket-keeper batsman and two often used to spend time together. The southpaw was also a part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad and the 33-year-old batsman had played important knocks in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Raina was out from the Indian team for over two months. The 33-year-old had often questioned the selectors over his axing from the Indian team, saying that the selectors didn't give him any reason behind his exclusion from the Men in Blue.
Raina, however, will take part in the 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the coronavirus crisis. Raina, along with Dhoni, will play for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He is the second-highest run-getter in the history of the IPL, only behind Virat Kohli.
