‘Imagine Rohit and me batting’ – Former CSK legend reveals why he wanted to play for Mumbai Indians in IPL

Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina was in conversation with FilmyGyan recently. During the course of the interview, Raina was asked a hypothetical question about which team he would play for if he made a comeback to the IPL. The options given were Mumbai Indians or Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

The 38-year-old former India batter without hesitation replied he would play for the Mumbai Indians and cited Rohit Sharma as a key reason. Raina said, “MI Actually, I always wanted to play for MI; imagine Rohit and me batting. He’s opening, and I would love to see playing eight games on Wankhede wicket.”

Suresh Raina.💀 pic.twitter.com/iD6EnBjq7p

— Gems of Cricket (@GemsOfCrickets) May 2, 2025

Suresh Raina has played the majority of his IPL career for Chennai Super Kings and was called ‘Chinna Thala’ with affection. Raina also played two seasons for Gujarat Lions, where he led the side. Raina last played for CSK in 2021, where he had a terrible season with the bat and was eventually released from the franchise. 

In 205 games that Raina played in the IPL, the batter went on to score 5528 runs. The left-handed batter also hit one century and 39 fifties with an average of 32 and a strike rate of 136, as well as taking 107 catches. Raina, who was also a useful off-spin bowler, picked 25 wickets during his IPL career. 

Suryakumar Yadav recalls his nervous debut for MI

Indian T20I cricket captain Suryakumar Yadav was recently in conversation with JioStar, where he recalled making his debut for MI. The right-handed batter played a handful of games in his first stint with the team. Yadav made his IPL debut against Pune Warriors and was out for a duck after playing four balls. 

Suryakumar Yadav said “I barely slept the night before my debut for the Mumbai Indians – went to bed around 4 or 5 in the morning. There was so much excitement. Playing for a franchise brings a different kind of buzz. I was just enjoying the moment, thinking about stepping onto the field for warm-up, and as soon as I did, I was already sweating. It felt really good."

The 34-year-old was also asked to give his take on his batting in the modern T20 era. Yadav said, “The T20 format has changed a lot in the past few years--scoring rates, strike rates, everything. Earlier, I used to bat at a strike rate of 140-150, but post-2020, I realised that to be the best, I needed to evolve. I went back to the drawing board, worked on match simulations, and started practicing shots that would help me stay ahead of bowlers and captains.”