Suresh Raina sent shockwaves among the whole world of Cricket as he joined his long term friend, companion and captain M S Dhoni and said adieu (retirement) to International Cricket.

Even though we won’t be seeing two magnificent players in blue jersey anymore, they would still be playing together for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Post Retirement announcement, Raina in an interview On being asked how has the CSK embraced Dhoni and Raina so well despite the fact both of them come from different places, he said, “Dhoni and I have been together since our early days camps in 2003-2004. We used to have camps in Bangalore and we know each other well. I really felt he is the guy who can change the game around and the personality. He helped me, supported my family during tough times.”

The cricketer from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradnagar, Raina also said that he will always be indebted to the CSK fans for their love and support and being called Chinna Thala means a lot to him. The monikers given to him and MS Dhoni by CSK fans is something he will cherish for the rest of his life, “It’s pure love and blessing. It’s like being Jai and Viru from Sholay. They really enjoy our game and love us,” said Raina on getting adulation from Chennai fans.

“When we go down South, we have a lot of responsibility but they enjoy our cricket. It’s only because of the fans. They treat us really well, they give us a lot of freedom to express ourselves,” he added.