Daren Sammy praises MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina; shares his favorite IPL memories

Sammy called Raina one of the nicest persons he has met; says Dhoni will be hard to replace as captain.

Daren Sammy brought the West Indies team a lot of glory during his stint as the team’s captain, especially in the T20I format. He led the Men in Maroon to two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016 and has played for various T20 leagues across the globe.

He has featured in IPL, CPL, PSL, and Global T20 Canada, and has a stadium named after him in his home country of St. Lucia. He is also leading the franchise St. Lucia Zouks in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 edition.

However, he has been part of the IPL as well, playing for the likes of Royal Challenger Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kings XI Punjab in the tournament, captaining the SRH team to playoffs in the 2013 edition of the tournament.

In a chat with the Times of India, Daren Sammy talked about the IPL and said that it is the 'Mecca' of T20 cricket. He was also all praise for Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

Daren Sammy finds MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma's captaincy styles a lot similar

“IPL is the 'Mecca' of T20 cricket while CPL is the 'Mecca' of entertainment in cricket. This year we had no funds but there is no experience like playing in CPL in front of a full house in the Caribbean. In CPL, you have some of the biggest hitters and superstars of the world. IPL is the most lucrative in all of the leagues and it's being played in India - a place where cricket is like a religion,” Sammy said.

He added, “Both have their own special identity. I have enjoyed playing in both places.”

Sammy also chose, taking the SRH franchise to the playoffs in the 2013 IPL as captain, one of his fondest memories of playing in the cash-rich T20 league. “My greatest memory has been the people of India. The way they embrace cricket and cricketers. And their passion and love for the game which gives you that energy and makes you enjoy playing cricket in India whether you win or lose,” he said.  

Sammy has seen two of the IPL’s and India’s best players in MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina play from close quarters. Both the Indian cricketers announced their international retirement on the same day on August 15 and Sammy paid rich tributes to both players in the interview.

He had a special mention for Suresh Raina and said, “I know a lot of praises and best wishes have been going to MS Dhoni. But for me, Suresh Raina is the nicest cricketer that I have ever met. A nicest international cricketer with full of grace, a very humble player, and a very stylish batsman. Jonty Rhodes also rated him as the best fielder in the world. It's important that we acknowledge his contribution to the game as well.”

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He added, “I guess for Raina and Dhoni to bow out almost at the same time and on the same day, it shows the level of friendship and the level of respect that Raina has for Dhoni. India lost two great cricketers in the form of their retirement.”

As for former India captain MS Dhoni, Sammy had nothing but good words to say.

“Dhoni I think will be impossible to replace especially as a captain and Raina for the entertainment he has provided over the years with his strokeplay and his fielding and he was something that was entertaining and exciting to watch,” Sammy said.

MS Dhoni will be seen leading the CSK franchise in the IPL 2020, while Suresh Raina returned home from UAE and may miss the entire tournament.

(Times of India inputs)