Indian cricketer Suresh Raina was among the biggest names to go unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction held in Bengaluru, on Saturday. Raina, who set a bidding price of Rs. 2 crore, failed to acquire any bidders in the opening bid.

Australian cricketer Steve Smith, South Africa’s David Miller, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan also went unsold in the proceedings.

35-year-old Raina previously represented franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the IPL’s inception. The left-handed batsman also led Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017 when CSK was suspended for a spot-fixing debacle. The southpaw returned to CSK after the Gujarat franchise was defunct. Raina was then released by CSK in IPL 2021 due to inconsistency in his performances. 

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During the franchise’ 2021 win, the batsman scored 160 runs in 12 matches, with a strike rate of 125. Raina has racked up over 5,528 runs in 205 matches, with an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73. Many expected Raina to be picked by CSK this year, and so, his failure to grab a singular bid left many people stunned.

Raina announced his retirement on August 15, 2020 – hours after former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He is one of the most notable names in the history of IPL.

On the other hand, Steve Smith was previously a member of the Delhi Capitals in the 2021 edition of the tournament. He also led Rajasthan Royals in 2019 and 2020. 

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On the first day of the mega auction, several cricketers were acquired, including Shikhar Dhawan by Punjab Kings for Rs. 8.25 crore, Ravichandran Ashwin by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 5 crore, David Warner by Delhi Capitals for Rs. 6.25 crore, Trent Boult by Rajasthan Royals for Rs.8 crore, and Pat Cummins by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs. 7.25 crore.