‘Would love to work with them’: Suresh Raina makes big CSK revelation, awaits call from franchise

Former India batsman Suresh Raina has expressed his desire to return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), this time as a member of their coaching staff, after revealing that he had approached the franchise for a role but has yet to receive a response.Raina, popularly known as ‘Mr IPL’, was a key figure for CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing the franchise from 2008 to 2021. He remains the top run-scorer in T20 cricket for the Chennai-based outfit, amassing 5,529 runs in 200 matches.Raina, a four-time IPL champion and two-time Champions League winner with CSK, has taken up the role of pundit and commentator after retiring from professional cricket. But now he wants to contribute to the franchise off the field.During an interview with his former India and CSK teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, Raina said that his years of experience, performances in high-pressure situations and contribution to the team’s success made him seek a coaching opportunity.“I have played in the IPL for almost 16 or 17 years. I have scored enough goals for us (CSK), played in the final and managed a lot of high-pressure matches. I asked them (CSK) and now it is their decision. It is their team now – we (Raina and Ashwin) are both retired so they have to make the call,” Raina said.“We have done our part, won trophies and won titles together. Now they need to see how we can contribute to CSK. I have been playing since day one so if they feel I am capable,” he added.The former left-handed batsman has made it clear that he is open to taking on any responsibility within the ČSK setup. For Raina, continuing his association with the franchise and participating in another trophy-winning campaign would matter more than the tag.“I would love to work with them in any capacity! For me, as long as I’m with the boys and they’re winning trophies, that’s what matters – because yellow is everything to us,” said Raina.Raina also explained that he wants to pass on the lessons learned from his years of playing international cricket, World Cup and IPL to the next generation. Having appeared in several finals and experienced both victory and defeat, he believes he can help players cope with the mental demands of the tournament.“I’ve played international cricket, IPL and World Cups, so I’ve experienced every facet of the game. I know the pressure you face, especially when you play so many finals – you win some, you lose some. I’ve learned how to handle that pressure and how to get the best out of myself mentally. We’ve had to play nine or 10 finals together and we’ve won four of them, so I’m still the best player in the PL. in this tournament and I want to give back to the players,” said Raina.He also pointed out that while CSK have adopted an aggressive style of cricket, the players still need advice on how to handle pressure, maintain consistency and manage their workloads in demanding seasons.“They’re doing really well and playing an aggressive, different brand of cricket, Ash. But they still need someone who can guide them through the stress and the workload. It’s not about teaching them technique – it’s about staying consistent season after season and that’s what really matters,” he added.Meanwhile, CSK have made significant changes to their coaching staff ahead of the IPL 2027 season. Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has taken over as head coach, replacing Stephen Fleming, while Mohit Sharma has been appointed as the bowling coach. Gareth Batty and Albie Morkel have also joined the five-time IPL champions as assistant coaches.