Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has revealed his World Playing XI during the ongoing World Championship of Legends 2025, notably excluding his former teammate and captain MS Dhoni as well as modern cricket icon Virat Kohli from the selection. Raina’s team selection features a mix of legendary players from different eras, with West Indian Brian Lara and India’s Sachin Tendulkar chosen as openers. The middle order of Raina’s World XI comprises West Indies legends Sir Vivian Richards and Garry Sobers, alongside Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The team also includes English all-rounders Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff to maintain balance.
The bowling attack in Raina’s selection heavily emphasizes spin, featuring late Australian spinner Shane Warne, Indian spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, and Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq. South African wrist-spinner Paul Adams has been designated as the impact player. The selection has garnered attention particularly for the absence of MS Dhoni, who is widely regarded as one of cricket’s finest wicketkeepers, and Virat Kohli, who has recently retired from Test and T20I cricket. Raina is currently preparing to return to cricket action in the World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL 2025), a tournament featuring six teams composed of retired players from major cricket nations including India, Australia, England, Pakistan, the West Indies, and South Africa. The India Champions team in WCL 2025 includes several prominent former players such as Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddharth Kaul, and Gurkeerat Mann. Raina’s own cricket career included significant achievements at both international and domestic levels. He represented India in 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in 2020. He was part of India’s victorious campaigns in the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
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In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Raina established himself as a crucial player for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), participating in over 200 matches and contributing to four IPL title victories. His IPL career statistics include 5528 runs, featuring one century and 39 fifties, making him one of the tournament’s highest run-scorers. The World Championship of Legends 2025 marks Raina’s return to competitive cricket, joining other retired players in a tournament that brings together former cricket stars from six major cricketing nations. Suresh Raina’s World Playing XI consists of: Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivian Richards, Garry Sobers, Yuvraj Singh, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq, with Paul Adams as the Impact Player. Raina’s international career yielded over 8000 runs across all formats, establishing him as a significant contributor to Indian cricket during his active years. His role in Chennai Super Kings’ success in the IPL further cemented his status as a prominent figure in Indian cricket.
