CSK CEO Kasi Viswanath reveals why franchise didn't buy Suresh Raina at IPL 2022 Auction

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An Indian Premier League (IPL) great in Suresh Raina going unsold at the two-day mega auction for the 2022 season of the IPL was among the biggest talking point and Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanath on Monday revealed why the franchise did not bid for the veteran batter despite hailing him as one of the most consistent performers for the team. With 5528 runs in 205 matches, Raina is the fourth-highest run-getter in IPL history. 4687 of those runs were scored for Chennai in his 11 years of participation for the franchise, making him CSK top run-scorer ahead of captain MS Dhoni.

However, the former Indian cricketer, better known as Mr. IPL, went unsold on day 1 of the mega event in Bengaluru and wasn't recalled during the accelerated session of the auction on Sunday. Viswanath explained that even while Raina was a consistent performer for CSK, the form of the player and team composition comes into play when forming a team. "Raina has been one of the most consistent performers for CSK for the last 12 years. Of course, it was very difficult for us, no to have Raina but at the same time, you should also understand that the team composition depends on the form and kind of team which any team would like to have so that’s one of the reasons why we thought he may not fit into this team," Kasi said in a video shared by CSK on their YouTube channel.

CSK also did not bid for Faf du Plessis, who was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore on Day 1 of the auction.

"We will miss him, we will miss Faf who has been with us for the last decade, that’s the process and dynamics of the auction," he added.

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