Suresh Raina, who last played a game of competitive cricket in May 2019, will be turning out for Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2020-21.

Raina confirmed his participation in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to Dainik Jagran. He has also told them that his focus will then shift to playing IPL 2021. The left-hander seems to have had a conflict with his franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who he represented for 10 years.

He had returned home from the UAE citing personal reasons just a couple of weeks before the thirteenth edition of the IPL began and hasn't spoken about playing for CSK again since then.

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Even while speaking to Dainik Jagran, he has not revealed the franchise he will be playing for in the next edition of IPL. If at all he does not feature for the Men in Yellow again, he will have to perform well in the domestic T20 trophy to earn himself a big price in the mega auctions to be held before IPL 2021.

The southpaw had also announced his retirement from international cricket right after MS Dhoni hung up his boots from the highest level of the game in August 2020.

Raina thus has clear targets ahead of him now given that Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is going to be conducted keeping in mind that the players get to show their mettle to the world just before the mega auctions take place for the fourteenth edition of the IPL in 2021.

(With inputs from Dainik Jagran)