CSK CEO reveals why Suresh Raina was not picked
Chennai, Feb 15: Chennai Super Kings did not bid for their longtime servant Suresh Raina at the IPL auction because of his "current form", said CEO Kasi Viswanathan on Tuesday.
While the social media was abuzz about Raina being ignored and it probably meant an end to the IPL legend's run in the league, CSK CEO K S Viswanathan said team combination and form meant the left-handed UP batter could not fit into the team.
"Missing out on Raina...He has been a great asset for the side earlier. Considering the current form, he did not fit into the side," Kasi told PTI.
Raina, an IPL superstar in his own right, having scored a 5,528 runs from 205 matches with 1 century and 39 fifties, went unsold in the auction. He had pegged himself at a base price of Rs two crore in the auction.
CSK veteran Faf du Plessis, a key member of the victorious teams in 2018 and 2021, was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore as was Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, star of the triumph last year.
"We will miss Faf who has been with us for a decade. But, that is the dynamics of the auction," he added.
The Super Kings, however, managed to buy back veterans Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Santner and pacer Deepak Chahar at the auction.
Speaking about losing some of the Super Kings stars, Viswanathan said, "in auction economics, it is very difficult to retain everybody. We were aware of it...we will lose somebody. We will also get somebody in their place. Now, we have to get the best out of what we have."
He said CSK went into the auction with a plan, adding they have got whatever they wanted.
"We went with a plan and think what we got whatever we wanted. We are quite happy with the team composition and balance of the side," Kasi added.
About getting Deepk Chahar, the CSK CEO said he has been performing very well and the team had earmarked him as one of the main buys.
"We know that Deepak Chahar is a match-winner. He has been performing very well for us, that is why we had earmarked Deepak as one of our main buys and we got him. We knew we had to pay high for that and we got him...," Viswanathan added.
CSK bagged Chahar for Rs 14 crore after an intense bidding war, making him the most expensive fast bowler in the auction.
Ahead of the auctions, CSK had retained talismanic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad and English player Moeen Ali.
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Christmas decorations vandalised by VHP activists at school in Nalbari; Tension in area
Nalbari: Tension prevailed in the Panigaon area of Nalbari district on December 24 after members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal allegedly entered the premises of St Mary’s School and vandalised materials prepared for Christmas celebrations.
According to local sources, activists of the VHP and Bajrang Dal entered the school campus ahead of Christmas and raised slogans inside the premises. It is alleged that Christmas-related decorations and materials kept within the school compound were damaged and set on fire.
Eyewitnesses said that members of the Bajrang Dal were the first to enter the campus, during which they allegedly raised slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram,” “Jai Hindu Rashtra,” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” and burnt items prepared for Christmas celebrations. The incident created panic among local residents and led to concerns over law and order in the area. No injuries have been reported so far.
The incident comes amid reports of similar acts in Nalbari town in recent days, where Christmas decorations displayed at several commercial establishments were allegedly set on fire.
Reacting to the incident, fact-checker Mohammed Zubair said on social media that VHP and Bajrang Dal activists entered St Mary’s School on Christmas Eve, raised slogans and destroyed Christmas decorations. His post drew attention to the incident and sparked wider discussion online.
Police have not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Further details are awaited.
On Christmas Eve, Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal goons entered St. Mary’s School in Panigaon, Nalbari, chanting slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra.” They destroyed and set fire to all Christmas decorations prepared at the school. pic.twitter.com/LQHV7FWUvz
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) December 24, 2025
