Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket, which effectively means he will no longer play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as the 35-year-old had already ended his international cricket on August 15, 2020, hours after Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to call it a day.
Reports suggest that Raina's decision to retire "from all formats of cricket" is a move to open avenues for him to play in tournaments such as the Road Safety Series and the mushrooming overseas T20 leagues.
Raina, who played 13 seasons of the IPL, scored more than 5,000 runs in the lucrative league while winning four titles with Chennai Super Kings.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Raina wrote, "It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of cricket. I would like to thank @BCCI, @UPCACricket, @ChennaiIPL, @ShuklaRajiv sir & all my fans for their support and unwavering faith in my abilities."
A report in ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday said Raina's decision will free him "to play tournaments like the Road Safety Series, for which he has already been confirmed, as well as overseas T20 leagues".
Fans were quick to hail the southpaw on social media.
