IPL 2021: Suresh Raina opens up about how his bond with MS Dhoni strengthened
In the latest book Believe, co-authored by Suresh Raina, the former India batsman divulged that playing for the same IPL team strengthened his bond with MS Dhoni.
The left-handed batsman talked about how Dhoni reacted when he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
MS Dhoni was bought for $1.5 million in the 2008 auction. Suresh Raina meanwhile joined CSK for $650,000 after his base price was set at $125,000.
In his latest book, Raina revealed that he received an immediate message from MS Dhoni once it was clear that both of them would play for the same IPL franchise.
"The IPL auctions happened, and like every other cricketer in the country, I was waiting eagerly to know which team I would be playing for. I was elated to go to the Chennai Super Kings. It meant Mahi Bhai and I would be playing for the same team. I heard from him almost immediately after I was bought in the auction. He said, 'Maza aayega dekh.' There was a lot of attention on him, of course. And looking at some of the other figures whom Chennai had bought Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan and Stephen Fleming I was just delighted to be in the same team as them. The IPL strengthened my bond with Mahi Bhai even further," Raina wrote in his book titled Believe.
Both MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina announced their retirement from international cricket in August last year. However, the duo continue to ply their trade for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Suresh Raina's form in IPL 2021
Suresh Raina pulled out of IPL 2020, citing personal reasons. CSK finished seventh in that campaign in the UAE, and the three-time title winners certainly felt Raina's absence in the batting order.
The 34-year-old returned to action this season and looked to be in decent touch, scoring 123 runs across 7 games at an average of 24.60.
The batsman, who last played competitive cricket back in 2019 before IPL 2021, showed his class in CSK's first game of the season, playing a quickfire knock of 54 off 36 balls against the Delhi Capitals.
CSK were placed second in the points table before the tournament was suspended indefinitely. Raina is currently the third-highest run-scorer in IPL history behind Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan.