Speaking to former India batter Aakash Chopra , Raina revealed that Dhoni was shocked by his decision after he informed him that he would retire on the same day.
Having shared the dressing room in the Indian team, as well as at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), for over a decade, both Dhoni and Raina retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020.
At that point, whether I was 32 or 33, whatever the age was… Because all these things happen… you wanted to spend time with your family. Because i feel that at the batting position I got an opportunity; the captain sacrificed his own position, but why I said captain….
But in the dressing room when he did it, I went in and said ‘It’s done. He goes ‘Ye Kya Kiya Tune’ (What did you just do?),” said Raina. Raina said that Dhoni’s gesture motivated him to put in extra effort and perform for the team. I said I will play with all my heart-whether it’s fielding or bowling. Where the heart gets attached, after that, whether it’s friendship… it’s the same thing, you play for thousands of years, you enjoy things a lot,” said Raina.
“It’s the game, right? You live for it as a player. You do so much for the country, parents sacrificed so much, but at that moment I felt this is the best. “I think at that time you played for the captain, you played for the team. He used to bat higher up when Dada was captain, but he took the responsibility, saying, ‘Yuvi Pa ( Yuvraj Singh ), you go up, Suresh, you play here, I am sitting here. “So I thought if this guy is showing more belief in my abilities than his own, then I have to perform for him. We are all part of the team. That’s why I think when you reach such a stage, you don’t think with your brain anymore; you become emotional, you think with your heart.
