Suresh Raina picks World Playing 11 ahead of WCL 2025; leaves out both Virat Kohli & MS Dhoni

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina left big names like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni out of his World Playing 11. Raina made the picks on the sidelines of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.

Going with a left-right combination, Suresh Raina picked legendary batters Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar as his openers. His middle order includes West Indian greats Sir Vivian Richards, Gary Sobers, and former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

Raina then picked two all-rounders, going with former English players Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff. They are also the only two quicks in his team. Interestingly, he went for four spinners, including legendary names such as Shane Warne, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, and Saqlain Mushtaq. Additionally, he picked former South African wrist-spinner Paul Adams as the impact player.

Suresh Raina's World Playing 11: Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivian Richards, Gary Sobers, Yuvraj Singh, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq, Paul Adams (impact player).

Watch the video of Raina picking his team here.

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Suresh Raina to feature in WCL 2025

Meanwhile, Suresh Raina will be back in action, all set to participate in the WCL 2025. The tournament, which began on July 18, features six teams - Australia Champions, England Champions, India Champions, South Africa Champions, West Indies Champions, and Pakistan Champions.

The league will see renowned retired players take the field once again. Raina is a part of the India Champions squad. The squad includes Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddharth Kaul, and Gurkeerat Mann.

Raina retired from international cricket in 2020. The left-hander was a part of India's 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs. Making his international debut in 2005, he played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is.

He scored 768 Test runs with a century, 5615 ODI runs with five hundreds and 36 fifties, 1605 T20I runs with a ton and five fifties. The 38-year-old also played 205 IPL matches, winning four trophies with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Among the best players in the history of the league, he scored 5528 runs with a century and 39 fifties.