NEW DELHI: Former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star
Suresh Raina
displayed a real-time example of his wit during Qualifier 1 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
While being engaged in his Hindi commentary duties on Jio Cinema, former Indian opener
Aakash Chopra
asked Raina if he had any plans to revoke his retirement, given he is still just 37 years old.
Raina cheekily replied, "Suresh Raina hu,
Shahid Afridi
nahi" (I am Suresh Raina, not Shahid Afridi), referencing former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi's multiple retirements. This left the commentary box in splits.
Raina announced his retirement from international cricket alongside MS Dhoni in 2020 and retired from IPL after the 2021 season when CSK won their fourth title. Since retirement, Raina has been active in commentary.
Recently, Raina shared a moment with former India teammate
Virat Kohli
during an interaction on JioCinema at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru ahead of an
IPL 2024
match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and CSK. This meeting also recalled a pivotal moment in Kohli's early career during the 2008 Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.
Initially left out of the playing XI by coach Pravin Amre, Kohli was recommended by Raina after seeing his potential in the nets.
Kohli recounted, "Raina saw me playing in the nets and asked Amre sir why I wasn't playing. Raina insisted I should be played, so I got a chance to open against New Zealand and scored 120 not out. This probably convinced Dilip Vengsarkar sir, the selector. I scored 120 not out, and he probably decided then and there that I should be given further opportunities," acknowledging Raina's role in his early career.
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