24-03-2020 at 04.00PM
India cricketer Suresh Raina and wife were blessed with a baby boy on Monday, his Chennai Super Kings teammate Harbhajan Singh revealed.
Harbhajan Singh took to social media to share the news and said: “Congratulations @iamraina and Priyanka for the baby boy”.
Suresh Raina revealed on social media that the couple has named their baby boy, Rio. The star cricketer also shared a photo of himself with his wife and the newborn.
“The beginning of all things wonder, hope, possibilities and a better world! We are proud to welcome our son & Gracia’s little brother – Rio Raina. May he flows beyond boundaries, bringing peace, renewal & prosperity to everyone’s life.” Raina wrote.
The baby boy is Suresh Raina and Priyanka’s second child. They had become parents in 2016 when Priyanka gave birth to their daughter, whom they named Gracia.
Shortly before Harbhajan Singh tweeted, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings took to social media and welcome their ‘Kutti Thala’. Notably, Suresh Raina is fondly called ‘Chinna Thala’ in Tamil Nadu as he has been as crucial member of CSK’s title-winning teams over the years.
Suresh Raina last played for India in July 2018. The World Cup 2011 winner has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2019. The all-rounder underwent a knee surgery in August last year and was undergoing recovery.
Suresh Raina trained with his Chennai Super Kings teammates MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla among others in Chennai during the 1st week of March before the training camp was called off due to Covid-19 pandemic.
CSK were gearing up for IPL 2020 but the cash-rich T20 league has now been suspended until April 15 due to novel coronavirus.
On Sunday, Suresh Raina took to social media to pay his tribute to India’s essential service providers who have been working tirelessly despite the lockdown imposed in several states even as the Covid-19 cases are rising in the country.
The Covid-19 pandemic has jolted the global sporting calendar with several high-profile events being cancelled or postponed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, apart from suspending IPL has also suspended all domestic cricket until the mid of April.