Kumar Sangakkara opens up on Suresh Raina going unsold at the IPL mega auction

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has recently shared the possible reasons behind Suresh Raina going unsold at the mega auction of IPL 2022 in Bengaluru last month. The director of cricket of Rajasthan Royals has also shared that sometimes a player is not suited for an edition and he will not fit into the plan for a franchise and this might be the reason for Raina too as well.

However, the veteran is currently in Mumbai, alongside the Rajasthan Royals squad, where he is assisting them in their training prior to the upcoming IPL 2022. Notably, Suresh Raina was one of the key players for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) throughout the years, led by MS Dhoni.

In a conversation with Red Bull Cricket on the Clubhouse app, Kumar Sangakkara applauded Suresh Raina as an IPL legend. He then shared the thought process of the franchises, saying: “There are different ways to look at it. As the years go by, players change and reputations are also made by younger players. In the case of Suresh Raina, his reputation is unbelievable in IPL cricket. He has been an absolute legend, one of the best and top-most performers season after season. When you go into granular detail, perhaps the player is not suited for that season.”

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He further added: “It takes nothing away from the player being one of the best, or the player being of absolutely high quality and it is something that analysts, coaches, and owners look for.”

On the other hand, another former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta has also said that he believed one or two franchises might bid for Suresh Raina at the mega auction of the IPL 2022 as well. However, as per the reports, Suresh Raina will return to the IPL this year as a commentator only.

In a video on his YouTube channel, he revealed: “Raina is Mr. IPL to a great extent. He is an IPL great but has dipped in the recent seasons. But I was a little surprised because there are 10 teams and when you have someone like Raina, who has a lot of experience. Maybe he has another year or two left. I thought one or two franchises might go for Raina because of his experience.”