Suresh Raina lost MS Dhoni's loyalty: Simon Doull explains why CSK didn't pick 'Mr IPL' at mega auction

Former India batter Suresh Raina going unsold at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction has become one of the major talking points on social media. Raina, an IPL legend, and a loyal servant of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was not picked by the franchise at the mega auction after a poor campaign last season.

Raina went unsold on the first day of the mega auction and was not included in the final list of players for the accelerated process as no teams asked for his name to go under the hammer once again on the second day.

Raina thus will be without a team for the first time in the history of the league. He has been one of the most successful batters over the years in the IPL and has been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. He is the all-time leading run-getter for CSK in IPL and has played an instrumental role in the team's success over the years.

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While many CSK fans are disappointed with the franchise for not getting Raina back in the squad at the IPL 2022 mega auction, some feel it was the right move considering the 35-year-old is way past his best and his form has only gone downhill in the last few years with injurieshampering his progress.

Former New Zealand cricketer and noted commentator Simon Doull recently gave his take on why CSK might have decided against going for Raina at the IPL 2022 mega auction. Doull believes Raina lost CSK and skipper MS Dhoni's loyalty in 2020 when he had pulled out of the season just days ahead of the start of the tournament in UAE.

Also Read:'If MS Dhoni doesn't play IPL 2022, even I won't' - When Suresh Raina made a tall claim

"There are 2 to 3 parts to it. He lost his loyalty in the UAE. We don't need to go into why that was but you know there's enough speculation about that, so he lost the loyalty. Of all the team, he lost the loyalty of MS Dhoni. So once you do that, you are very very unlikely to be welcomed back. He's not fit and he is scared of the short ball," Doull said on Cricbuzz.

Raina had travelled to the UAE with the rest of the CSK squad ahead of the start of IPL 2020. However, he flew back home days before the tournament got underway due to personal reasons. There were reports of a rift between him and the team management while other reports suggested Raina went back home due to personal reasons. He missed the entire season as CSK failed to make it to the playoffs and finished seventh in IPL 2020.

Also Read:My father really loved MS Dhoni, I wish he could watch me play for CSK: Rajvardhan Hangargekar

Raina returned to the squad for IPL 2021 and endured a disappointing campaign as he could score only 160 runs in 12 matches and missed the business end of the tournament due to a knee injury. No team bid for the IPL superstar at the IPL mega auction as the left-hander has not played any competitive cricket since retiring from international cricket in 2020.