Chennai Super Kings (CSK) assistant coach Sridharan Sriram has addressed the speculation around Suresh Raina potentially taking up the role of batting coach following the team’s disappointing IPL 2025 campaign.
Sriram, who has prior coaching experience with the Australian men’s team, stated that he would need to speak directly with Raina regarding any such development. Although CSK ended their season with an 83-run win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, they still finished at the bottom of the table.
During a commentary segment, Aakash Chopra asked Raina if the new batting coach’s name started with an ‘S’, to which Raina playfully replied by referencing his 16-ball fifty against Punjab Kings in IPL 2014 — the fastest in CSK’s history.
When questioned about the matter during a press conference, Sriram responded, according to India Today:
“I don’t know. I have to ask him if he said that.”
The 49-year-old expressed confidence in the Super Kings, stating that the team management understands the shortcomings and will take all necessary steps to address them.
“Really don’t know what is going to happen, I think the good thing is Fleming and MS, Ruturaj. They’ve got a clear idea of what went wrong and what needs to be done. So I think the road ahead is quite clear, which I think is a real positive.”
Due to mid-season squad changes, Sriram believed players like Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre stepped up impressively as replacements. He commented, as reported by The Hindustan Times:
“These are forced changes. There were injuries that happened, and we had to replace. Fortunately for us, the people who came in did well. I won’t go back and dig too deep into it, saying we made mistakes at the auction table.”
Suresh Raina remains the leading run-scorer in Chennai Super Kings’ history
Suresh Raina, who represented Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2021, still holds the record as the franchise’s top run-scorer, amassing 5,529 runs in 200 games, which includes two centuries and an average of 33.10.
During his tenure, CSK secured IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. The 2025 season marked the first time the team ended at the bottom of the standings.
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