Why Suresh Raina went unsold in mega auction? Kumar Sangakkara explains

The Indian T20 League is one of the biggest franchise tournaments in the world. Over the years, several legends have graced the tournament with their presence. One of the most successful players in the tournament is Suresh Raina. However, he will not participate in the 2022 season as he went unsold in the mega auction. Raina is an icon of the tournament and contributed massively to the success of four-time champions Chennai. However, the team did not go after Raina in the mega auction as the southpaw had a miserable outing with the bat in 2021.

Veteran cricketer and Rajasthan's team director, Kumar Sangakkara has explained why Raina went unsold in the mega auction. He said that the player going unsold in the auction does not mean that the player is not good, adding that players are selected based on team combination and what that particular player can give to the team. 

During a conversation in 'Red Bull Cricket' on Club House, he said, "There are different ways to look at it. As the years go by, players change and reputations are also made new by younger players. In the case of Suresh Raina, his reputation is unbelievable in IPL cricket. He has been an absolute legend, one of the best and top-most performers season after season.

"When you go into granular detail, perhaps the player is not suited for that season. It takes nothing away from the player being one of the best, or the player being of absolutely high quality and it is something that analysts, coaches, and owners look for."

Despite having missed the 2020 season due to personal reasons, Suresh Raina has over 5000 runs in the tournament. The 35-year-old has appeared in 205 ITL games, scoring 5528 runs at an average of 32.52. He's got a century and 39 fifties to his name. In addition, he has 25 wickets in 13 seasons.

He was a huge part of the Chennai team and played a huge role in every season that the team won.