Suresh Raina was one of the Indian team’s new-age cricketers who mastered the game in all three positions – on the grounds as an agile fielder and at the creases with a bat and ball. Raina -- who announced his retirement from international cricket immediately following former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement -- was a memorable player across all formats of cricket.
In 226 ODIs he played for India, the left-hander’s attacking demeanor created electric responses from the crowds across the country, abroad and particularly in Chennai, where he is belovedly called chinna thala (junior leader) for his crucial part in Chennai Super Kings’ success in the IPL.
Here are some of the memorable knocks of Suresh Raina:
74 off 56 balls, against Pakistan, Adelaide, 2015
This World Cup innings against arch-rivals Pakistan is representative of that attacking nature of the left-hander. India, batting first, put together a total of 300 with the generous help of Virat Kohli’s century. However, Raina was at the other end, supporting the momentum throughout the innings. His explosive 74 helped India maintain the unbeaten track against Pakistan in World Cup matches.
101 off 60 balls, against South Africa, St Lucia, 2010
Although the 2010 T20 World Cup wasn’t a celebration for India, this particular innings by Raina is etched in the memories of cricket fans. India, choosing to bat first, suffered an early blow after opener Murali Vijay walked out with no contribution. Then Raina marches in at the third over and stays until the very end to form India’s 186. At 95 in the final over of the innings, Raina goes all the way and smashes the third ball of the over across the boundary to race past 100. Back then, he was only the third batsman to score a T20 International century.
100 off 75 balls, against England, Cardiff, 2014
Batting first, India’s runs came unhurriedly. With four down at just over 100 runs, Raina walked in and maintained a sturdy presence until he rallied through the innings to make a century. Along with him, MS Dhoni added another 50 to take India’s total to 300. This innings is a stark reminder of Raina’s versatility across platforms. Walking in at several positions on the table, he could steer the situation with his bat, to fit the need of the hour.
81 off 89 balls, against England, Faridabad, 2006
Raina’s Faridabad 81 came at a time when all eyes were on India’s top order. Seasoned batsmen like Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj, or even Gambhir often stole the show. However, on this day, Raina referred to as a “teen prodigy” then, came into the picture after the top order fell apart like a house of cards. Chasing 227 seemed like a steep climb from where Raina stood. Much younger in terms of experience but bringing the energy of youth, Raina, along with Dhoni, carried the team to victory, which would soon become a routine.
Raina’s explosive character with the bat may have inspired several other young batsmen but in Test cricket, he has received his fair share of flack. This feature was often targetted by bowlers with the red ball. However, in other formats, Raina has left us with several entertaining innings.