Few cricketers wear their religion up their sleeve; one is almost smug in the belief that they don’t have any religion barring the sport they play. So, it came as a pleasant surprise when Raina he proclaimed that he is ‘‘also a Brahmin.’’
Raina, who is part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was invited to join the commentary during the opening game of the fifth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The 34-year-old was then asked by the commentator about his connection with Chennai and how he has embraced the culture.
In reply, Suresh Raina said: "I think, I am also Brahmin. I have been playing since 2004 in Chennai, I love the culture... I love my teammates. I have played with Anirudha Srikanth, Badri (Subramaniam Badrinath), Bala Bhai (L Balaji)...I think you need to learn something good from there. We have a good administration, we have the license to explore ourselves. I love the culture there, and I'm lucky to be part of CSK. Hopefully, we will play more matches there."
Fans aren't too happy with Raina's comment and they have taken to social media to make their displeasure known. ‘’Chennai culture is usually projected as Tamil Brahmin culture in some circles, Chennai Express etc. Filter coffee, Mylapore, Curd Rice with Maggi. Maybe Raina thought that would endear him to fans,’’ pointed out one user.
The left-handed batsman, who is from UP, announced his retirement from international cricket last year on August 15. He has been an integral part of the Chennai-based franchise in the IPL over the years as he is the third-highest run-scorer in the league.
Three times IPL winner, Raina has represented India in 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is. He was also the first Indian to score a century across all three formats in international cricket.
