The former CSK stalwart also noted that Axar Patel's consistency over recent years positions him as a natural leader within the DC core. But the trickier decision, according to Raina, concerns veteran opener Faf du Plessis, who endured a lean run with just 202 runs from nine games.
Faf du Plessis says Virat Kohli's infectious energy, which easily rubs off on everyone, is the secret of the brilliant on-field and an equally fulfilling off-field equation he shares with the Indian superstar.
A fine half-century by Rilee Rossouw went in vain as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowlers delivered a brilliant performance to bundle out Punjab Kings (PBKS) for just 181 runs and secure a 60-run win at Dharamsala on Thursday.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
'I do a lot of hard work to ensure I look after my body to be able to play this brilliant game we love so much.'
While a return to South African national team remains an enticing proposition for him, former captain Faf du Plessis wants to regain his peak fitness and game-touch abefore seriously nourishing such ambitions.
'Who are all batting in pressure situations? The young Indian batters and Dinesh Karthik. The big international names, who are supposed to take the pressure, where are they? All are back in the dressing room.'
Following his side's win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) game, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Faf Du Plessis lauded Virat Kohli for his knock, saying that his stay was important at that playing surface and he is still passionate about the sport.
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis lit up the M Chinnaswamy stadium as guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to a cracking win over Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2023 opener.
Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers said that he expects Virat Kohli to back Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to stay with the franchise for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025.
As much as Faf du Plessis finds MS Dhoni's leadership inspirational but when he leads Johannesburg Super Kings in the upcoming SA20, he will go about the job in his own way, with an eye on wearing the Proteas jersey in the T20 World Cup in June.
Pacer Yash Dayal kept his cool in a tense final over to seal a 27-run win against Chennai Super Kings and send RCB through to the play-offs.
In case of Madhya Pradesh speedster Avesh, there were no financial penalty as a formal warning was deemed to be enough.
Here's a closer look at the standout performances of the DC vs SRH match.
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis couldn't hide his disappointment after the defeat.
Santner, Bumrah make my job very easy: Pandya
Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has expressed confidence in out-of-form batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, predicting he will regain form in upcoming IPL matches.
Narine stars as KKR keep playoff hopes alive with 14-run win over DC
Young Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who made a strong impact in his IPL debut last year, has faced a tough time this season.
Faf du Plessis believes Mahendra Singh Dhoni, among others, helped him mature as a leader
Be it a spinner or a pacer, du Plessis had a big score on his mind. With that intent, he hammered the ball all over the park.
Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plesiss struck attacking half-centuries to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to an easy eight-wicket win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Delhi Capitals will be desperate to arrest their slump and stay in contention for a play-off berth when they take on high-flying Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL match in Dharamsala on Thursday.
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash in Delhi on Sunday to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Hasaranga then paid the faith shown in him by du Plessis to finish with spectacular figures of 5 for 18, not allowing the SunRisers batters any gift deliveries, stifling them and finally having them all out for 125 and 67 runs short.
Suryakumar Yadav's doughty 73 not out proved to be the difference as Mumbai Indians sealed the fourth and final play-off berth with a 59-run trouncing of Delhi Capitals.
Despite the impressive record that the WTC finalists are in possession of, Bangar doesn't believe the Proteas or the Baggy Greens will receive an edge over the other in the Ultimate Test, which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday.
The South African couldn't control his laughter as Kohli whispered something in his ears.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive' could've been the soundtrack of the night - because Sunil Narine made sure Kolkata Knight Riders were doing just that.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
Krunal Pandya recorded his first fifty in IPL since 2016, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru pull off a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.
RCB head coach Sanjay Bangar said the team's early exit despite some outstanding performances from Kohli, du Plessis and Siraj was difficult to comprehend.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in Hyderabad, on Monday.
Indian superstar Virat Kohli has backed newly-appointed Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar to lead the side for a long time.
Both Jaiswal and du Plessis, the leading run-getters in IPL 2023 so far, are in scintillating form. While du Plessis is leading the scoring charts with 576 runs from 11 innings, including six half centuries and a best of 84, Jaiswal is a close second with 575 runs from 12 matches, which includes four fifties and a 124-run knock.
But the hosts will be a confident group as star batter Virat Kohli made a return to run-making ways after an all too brief blip.
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis feels that losing four wickets for 20 runs in the first four overs became his team's undoing.
