Suresh Raina shares statement on retirement; thanks fans, family, BCCI & the Men in Blue

A day after joining former India skipper MS Dhoni in retirement, Suresh Raina has released an official statement confirming the news. The number four batsman thanked his teammates, family, his fans and BCCI for the support he received during his international career. The UP-lad had made his debut for the Men in Blue in 2005 and will continue to play for the Chennai Supre Kings in the IPL 2020. 

"With a lot of mixed feelings I'm able to make this announcement of my retirement. From a very young age, I as a small boy had literally lived cricket on every street, gali and nukkad of my small town before making it to the Indian team. All I have known is cricket, all I have done is cricket & it runs through my veins," Raina wrote. 

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"My boys in BLUE, nothing would have been possible without the support of the wonderful India Team in blue. I had the pleasure of playing with the best of the very best players and all of them played for Team India. I feel lucky to have played unde the captaincy of some of the best minds in the game Rahul Bhai, Anil Bhai, Sachin Paaji, Chiku and especially with MS Dhoni for guiding me as a friend and mentor," the left-handed batsman added. 

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Suresh Raina shares official statement

Raina, who was a part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad, has scored over 5,600 ODI runs and 1,605 T20 runs for the Men in Blue. The left-handed batsman was regarded as Team India's permanent number 4, a position following his snub created a void. The 33-year-old mostly played under MS Dhoni and also accompanied his skipper in IPL as he played for the CSK. Raina is also the first batsman to have 5000 runs in the IPL. 

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Moments after MS Dhoni announced his retirement on Saturday, Suresh Raina also made his announcement on Instagram. Sharing a picture with his CSK squad including skipper MS Dhoni, Raina wrote, "It was nothing but lovely playing with you, MS Dhoni. With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey. Thank you India. Jai Hind!"

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