Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina opened up about the team’s 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign where he was dropped from the side. Raina disclosed that he only asked captain MS Dhoni to drop him and include then-new recruit Robin Uthappa in the playing XI.
Uthappa played his first match for CSK against Delhi Capitals (DC). During the toss, Dhoni informed that Raina is injured that’s why Uthappa will be replacing him. Raina was never seen in the XI for the remainder of the season.
During a recent interaction with Robin Uthappa, Rina revealed it was his suggestion to Dhoni to give Uthappa the chance to bat for tactical purposes. “When MS Dhoni and I talked, I suggested to him ‘You should try Robin Uthappa’. He (Dhoni) took permission from me to play you and I said to him that ‘he is the guy to give you the final, trust me’,” Raina told Uthappa on JioCinema.
Raina claimed Dhoni would have never excluded the southpaw from the final XI but he convinced the skipper to make the move which he did. “I said ‘Play Robin at number 3 and make sure he is in the playing XI till the final. If you win, CSK will win. Whether I play or he, Robin and Raina are the same,” Raina added. In 2021, CSK defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs in the final to lift the IPL trophy for the fourth time.
How Robin Uthappa performed in IPL 2021?
Rajasthan Royals traded Robin Uthappa to CSK before IPL 2021. He played only four games, scoring 115 runs at a strike rate of 136.90, with a fifty. Overall, he has 205 IPL matches to his name where he amassed 3799 runs at a strike rate of 130.35, including 27 half-centuries.
On the other hand, Suresh Raina, who went unsold in 2022 and became an IPL commentator, also has played 205 matches. Mr. IPL collected 4042 runs at a strike rate of 136.76 with a century and 39 fifties. Both Uthappa and Raina have retired from IPL.
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