Amid reports of Chennai Super Kings exploring a trade of star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson, former CSK batter Suresh Raina has sent out a strong message to the five-time IPL champions: 'Sir Ravindra Jadeja' has to be there'.
Jadeja has been an integral part of the CSK line-up since joining the team in 2012, except in 2016 and 2017 when the franchise was banned.
The all-rounder has scored 3,260 runs in 254 matches, at a strike rate of 130.29, while picking up 170 wickets at an economy rate of 7.67, with three four-wicket hauls. He has played a pivotal role in CSK's three IPL title triumphs.
He was retained ahead of the IPL 2025 auction for a hefty Rs 18 crore.
Jadeja's batting record in the IPL:
| GAMES | INNINGS | NOT OUT | RUNS | HIGHEST SCORE | AVERAGE | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | CATCHES | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254 | 198 | 81 | 3,260 | 77 not out | 27.86 | 2502 | 130.29 | 0 | 5 | 240 | 117 | 109 | 0 |
Jadeja's IPL Bowling Record
| GAMES | INNINGS | BALLS | Runs | WICKETS | BBI | BBM | AVERAGE | Econ | ECONOMY RATE | 4W | 5W | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254 | 225 | 4,056 | 5,188 | 170 | 5/16 | 5/16 | 30.51 | 7.67 | 23.8 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
'Ravindra Jadeja should be retained again. He is a gun player for CSK. He has done really, really well for the team over the years, so 'Sir Ravindra Jadeja' has to be there,' Raina told JioStar.
The former India batter also wants CSK to retain the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni ahead of the IPL mini-auction next month.
'M S Dhoni should definitely be retained; he is playing this year, so he should remain with the team. Ruturaj Gaikwad should continue as captain.'
'Noor Ahmad should be retained. He's a mystery spinner, so he must be kept,' he added.
Raina was part of CSK's IPL title-winning team in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. Overall, he played 205 matches in the IPL, amassing 5,528 runs at a strike rate of 136.73, with a century and 39 fifties.
He wants CSK to release Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda and sign up new players at the IPL mini auction.
'Devon Conway should be released. CSK need a local opener, which they will look for in the mini-auction. Vijay Shankar has already received plenty of chances. So I think CSK should release him as well. Deepak Hooda should be released too.
'There are a lot of players available in the mini-auction who can provide the same combination for the team. These players got their chances last year, and we saw how they played. So, probably CSK will have to look for someone new.'