Suresh Raina to play in Road Safety World Series 2022: Full List of India Legends Squad

New Delhi, Sep 6: Former India cricketer Suresh Raina is another big player to join the galaxy of stars in the highly-anticipated Road Safety World Series (RSWS) 2022.

The 35-year-old left-handed-batter on Tuesday (September 6) announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. This move makes him eligible for competing in overseas T20 leagues and also in the RSWS - where former cricketers participate.

In an interview with a leading Hindi daily, Raina said, "I want to continue playing cricket for two or three years," the Uttar Pradesh cricketer was quoted as saying by Dainik Jagran.

"There are some exciting youngsters who are coming through the ranks of Uttar Pradesh cricket. I have already taken my No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA). I have informed BCCI secretary Jay Shah and vice-president Rajiv Shukla about my decision.

"I will play in the Road Safety Series. T20 franchises from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and UAE have contacted me but I am yet to take any decision," he added further.

Earlier in 2020, the 35-year-old had followed former India captain MS Dhoni to announce his international retirement on August 15. The two-time World Cup winner continued playing the IPL in 2021 but was released by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2022 season.

"It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of cricket," Raina tweeted while thanking the BCCI, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and CSK.

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Since an active India or domestic player can't take part in overseas leagues, Raina needed to take this step for him to explore T20 leagues around the world.

He could also be seen in Cricket South Africa's new T20 league, to be held next year, with all six teams owned by IPL franchises, including CSK.

Raina played his last competitive game in October 2021 when he turned up for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. As an India player, Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20s. He was part of the World Cup winning squad in 2011.

India Legends Full Squad*: Sachin Tendulkar (Captain), Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, S Badrinath, Stuart Binny, Naman Ojha(WK), Manpreet Gony, Pragyan Ojha, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Rajesh Pawar, Rahul Sharma.

'*' Squad is yet to be confirmed.