Suresh Raina’s name ignored by auctioneer in Lanka Premier League auction; fans are confused

Fans were left confused when Suresh Raina’s assigned number was shown in the first auction of the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2023) but auctioneer Charu Sharma didn’t name him. Along with Rassie van de Dussen, Imam-ul-Haq and Evin Lewis, Raina was supposed to go under the hammer in set number 11 but Charu did not take his name which raised doubts among fans. While all other players were mammed in set 11, Raina was missed. Fans do not know whether it was a mistake on the part of the auctioneer or Raina’s name was dropped at the last minute. No statement has yet come from Raina or Sri Lanka Cricket on this matter.

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Many fans on Twitter feel that Raina’s name was deliberately used by Sri Lanka Cricket to promote their brand. But this observation seems far from the truth at the moment. Things can become clear only after Raina or SLC issues a statement on it.

Check out Raina’s name in the list of 360 players to be auctioned for the first-ever LPL auction on June 14 in Colombo:

Raina is a seasoned T20 specialist, having played over 250 matches in the Indian Premier League and international cricket. Raina is not only a brilliant batsman but also a capable off-spinner. His fielding skills also come in handy. After winning the IPL 2021 with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Raina was not retained by the Super Kings, which came as a huge blow to the fans. Raina, who had retired from international cricket in 2020, had then also announced his retirement from IPL after not being retained by CSK. The move made them eligible for other franchise-based T20 leagues.

LPL 2023 will start from July 31, which means that if Raina is selected in the auction, he will have enough time to prepare well and increase his fitness level for the tournament. Raina is fondly called Mr. IPL for his consistency. In 205 matches played for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions, Raina scored 5,528 runs and ended up as one of the legends of the league. He averaged 32.52 in the IPL while he scored 136.73 runs.

Not to forget, Raina also scored a century and a total of 39 fifties in the Indian Premier League. Raina also has a solid T20I record. In 78 T20 matches for India, he scored 1604 runs at an average of 29.16 and a strike rate of 134.79. He also completed one hundred and five half-centuries in T20 Internationals.

Babar Azam will also play in the Lanka Premier League for the Colombo Strikers. He is their icon player. Raina was the only player from India to have registered his name in the Lanka Premier League this year. Irfan Pathan has played in this T20 league in previous editions.