"It's something like Jai and Veeru": Suresh Raina on 'Thala', 'Chinna Thala' titles for him and MS Dhoni
Former India player Suresh Raina addressed the admiration Chennai Super Kings' fans have for him and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The dynamic duo announced their retirement from international cricket on Saturday, however, they both will play for CSK in the Indian Premier League.
Dhoni and Raina are fondly called 'Thala' and 'Chinna Thala' respectively by the CSK fans. The southpaw said that he cherishes the love and admiration for him by the fans and claims the 'Thala' and 'Chinna Thala' seems like Jai and Veeru from Bollywood classic Sholay.
"It's pure love and pure blessing. It's something you cherish for the rest of your life. 'Thala' and 'Chinna Thala', it's something like Jai and Veeru from Sholay," Suresh Raina told popular sports commentator Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz.
"When we go down South, we have a lot of responsibility but they enjoy our cricket. It's only because of the fans. They treat us really well, they give us a lot of freedom to express ourselves."
Both Raina and Dhoni had already arrived in Chennai for a training camp ahead of the team's departure for the UAE. The mega tournament starts from September 19 and will run till November 10.
Raina further said the 2007 ODI World Cup debacle changed Dhoni as a person and he learnt a lot from that phase.
"He reads the game really well. We have seen over the years how he led the team over the years and got tougher with each and every tour.
"I would say he really learnt a lot from the 2007 World Cup loss. You can win a lot of matches, when you lose, you can learn a lot. That shows how serious a captain he is, tough person he is. That 2007 World Cup really changed him as a person."
