New Delhi: One of the best IPL players, Suresh Raina, acknowledged that he was approached by other teams about being their captain. He opted to remain at CSK, nevertheless, because of his close relationship with MS Dhoni, who urged him to continue serving as his assistant.
Raina revealed his desire to captain CSK from 2008 to 2021, and during CSK's IPL suspension in 2016–17, he briefly led the Gujarat Lions.
Despite receiving offers to coach their teams from various IPL organisations, Raina chose to stay with CSK because of his loyalty to the squad and his friendship with Dhoni. Raina was pushed to stay by Dhoni, who referred to him as his vice-captain.
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Raina stated, “Dhoni bhai would say don’t go elsewhere, I am the captain and you are the vice-captain.” He had no personal aspirations for captaincy, focusing instead on playing and helping his country win.
Raina prided himself on being a team player who was always willing to help teammates and find solutions to their issues. His commitment to the team's success was greater than his desire to be the captain.
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Overall, Raina declined captaincy offers from other IPL clubs because of his close relationship with Dhoni and his pleasure as vice-captain. Instead of pursuing individual leadership goals, his priority was to play the sport he loved and help India win.
