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August 15, 2020, remains one of the most memorable days in Indian cricket. MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket, and just a few hours later, his close friend and former India teammate Suresh Raina made a stunning announcement of his own.

Raina also decided to call time on his international career that day, bringing an end to a journey that had seen him share the dressing room with Dhoni for India and Chennai Super Kings for several years.

The bond between the two former India stars has remained a major talking point among fans. Even after their retirements, their interactions continue to attract attention whenever they meet.

Dhoni’s Reaction To Raina’s Retirement

Suresh Raina has now recalled how MS Dhoni responded when he told the former India captain about his decision to retire. According to Raina, Dhoni was genuinely surprised that he had chosen to walk away on the same day.

Speaking to Aakash Chopra, Raina explained that his decision came after he felt it was the appropriate moment to move on and spend more time with his family.

“As a player, you live for the sport. You do a lot for the country - with the sacrifices of your parents behind it all - but in that moment, I felt it was the right time. You want to spend time with your family. I was around 32 or 33 years old then. After he announced his retirement, I went into the dressing room and said, ‘It’s all over now.’ He replied, ‘What have you done?’”

Suresh Raina's decision to retire alongside Dhoni became one of the most emotional moments of their long association.

‘Dhoni Made Sacrifices For Me’

Suresh Raina also spoke about the role Dhoni played in his career and revealed how the former captain made sacrifices to help him establish himself in the Indian team.

According to Raina, Dhoni was willing to adjust his own batting position to accommodate him. He recalled that Dhoni had batted higher in the order during Sourav Ganguly's captaincy but later made room for Raina in the batting lineup.

“I feel that at that time, I played for the captain; I played for the team. I mention the captain because he gave up his own batting position to accommodate the one I was offered.”

Raina further recalled Dhoni telling him that Yuvraj Singh would bat higher while Raina would get his preferred position.

“When Dada (Sourav Ganguly) was captain, Dhoni used to bat higher up the order, but he took the initiative and said, ‘Yuvraj will bat higher up, Suresh, you play here, and I will bat here.’”

Raina said Dhoni's selfless approach motivated him to give everything for the Indian team.

During Ganguly's captaincy, Dhoni was used at various positions in the middle order, including No. 3, 4 and 5. However, after taking over as captain, he was predominantly deployed at No. 6, underlining the changes he was willing to make for the team's balance.