Suresh Raina announced his retirement from “all formats of cricket” on Tuesday. “It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP”, the former Indian batter wrote in a social media post.

Suresh Raina, who also played in the Indian Premier League, thanked the BCCI, Chennai Super Kings, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and former IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla.

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Suresh Raina, 35, followed former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni into international retirement on August 15, 2020. “It was nothing but lovely playing with you”, Raina wrote while responding to Dhoni’s retirement. “With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you India”, he added.

However, continued playing the IPL in 2021 but was released by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2022 season.

Raina played his last competitive game in October 2021 when he turned up for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi, news agency PTI reported.

Since an active India or domestic player can’t take part in overseas leagues, Raina needed to take this step for him to explore T20 leagues around the world.

He could also be seen in Cricket South Africa’s new T20 league, to be held next year, with all six teams owned by IPL franchises, including Chennai Super Kings.

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Suresh Raina managed to add roughly 8,000 international runs throughout his career. During this time, the star player played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20 internationals. He was also known for his close friendship with MS Dhoni, who was the Indian captain for most of Raina’s career.

Suresh Raina was part of India’s 2011 World Cup squad, which managed to win the championship. Raina managed to add 34 crucial runs to India’s score, beating Australia in the second quarterfinal.