IPL 2025: Is Raina Returning to CSK? Hints Emerge After Chennai's Big Win

Chennai Super Kings, the five-time IPL champions, had a tough run in the 2025 season, but they wrapped it up on a positive note with a strong 83-run win over Gujarat Titans in their final league match. After this victory, fans and former cricketers started talking about Suresh Raina, the CSK legend. Many are hoping to see him return to the team not as a player this time, but possibly as a coach.

Suresh Raina Likely to Become CSK's New Batting Coach

When asked about it during the post-match press conference, CSK assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram responded without clearly saying yes or no. He didn’t confirm anything, but he didn’t deny it either.

"I don't know. I have to ask him if he said that," Sriram said as quoted by India Today.

During a post-match discussion, Aakash Chopra questioned Raina if CSK's new batting coach's initials started with the letter "S" as the discussion turned towards the future of CSK's backroom staff. To which, Raina replied, "He has made the fastest fifty." Later to which Chopra said, "Chalo ho gaya bhai, you heard it first here."

Former Australian cricketer Michael Hussey has been the batting coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since 2018. However, with CSK finishing at the bottom of the IPL points table for the first time in their history, the team might be looking to make some changes in their coaching staff. This could be why Suresh Raina is being considered for a possible coaching role, as the team looks to rebuild and bounce back stronger.

Young Players Help CSK End Season with Strong Win

Despite their poor season, CSK ended their campaign with a solid performance against the Gujarat Titans. Youngsters Ayush Mhatre (34 off 17), Urvil Patel (37 off 19), and Dewald Brevis (57 off 23) guided the team to post their highest total of the season, 230/5. Sriram credited the new faces who stepped up during a season hampered by injuries. 

"These are forced changes. There were injuries that happened, and we had to replace them. 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," Sriram added.

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