Suresh Raina – Chennai’s Batting Heartbeat

Suresh Raina is India’s first superstar in T20 cricket. He may not have any Orange Caps to show for it, but in the early years of the Indian T20 League, he was Mr. Consistency and the cornerstone of an incredibly successful Chennai side.

Raina was the Chennai Team’s leading run scorer in 2008, 2010 and 2012, and he made more than 400 runs in each of the first 7 seasons. In their 3 title-winning seasons – 2010, 2011 and 2018 – he scored 4 half centuries each and was adjudged the Man of the Match in the 2010 final. That was also the year when he became the first Indian batter to score centuries in each of the three formats at the international level.

In 2019, he became the first to cross 5,000 runs in the league. He is also the only fielder to have taken more than 100 catches. He played a crucial role in India’s 50-over World Cup win in 2011 and was part of the Champions Trophy win in 2013 as well. But for all his heroics in India’s blue jersey, Raina’s career is also closely entwined with Chennai’s yellow jersey.

Except for the two years when the Chennai franchise was banned (2016-17) and the 2020 season, when he opted out of the Covid bubble, Raina has been ever-present for the Chennai side. The fans have taken him to their hearts to such an extent that he’s affectionately called Chinna Thala (meaning “junior leader” in Tamil). But as he approaches his 35th birthday, and with another tournament being played in another Covid bubble, Raina has to remind fans of his value to the side.

Suresh Raina’s Personal Details

- Name
- :
- Suresh Raina
- Date of Birth
- :
- 27th November 1986
- Birthplace
- :
- Muradnagar
- Height
- :
- 5′9″
- Batting Style
- :
- Left-handed batter
- Playing Role
- :
- Top-order batter
- Major Teams Played For
- :
- Team India, Chennai team, Gujarat team

Suresh Raina Current Rankings

T20 79th
ODI 102nd
Test 91st

Suresh Raina Career Summary

- Format
- M
- Inn
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 200
- 50
- 4s
- 6s
- CT
- Test
- 18
- 31
- 768
- 120 vs SL
- 26.48
- 53.14
- 1
- 0
- 7
- 100
- 4
- 23
- ODI
- 226
- 194
- 5615
- 116* vs BD
- 35.31
- 93.50
- 5
- 0
- 36
- 476
- 120
- 102
- T20I
- 78
- 66
- 1605
- 101 vs SA
- 29.18
- 134.87
- 1
- 0
- 5
- 145
- 58
- 42

Suresh Raina - Key Skills and Strengths

At his best, Raina batted with a fluency beyond most of his peers. He could thread the ball through the gaps and hit over the fielders with the same confidence and elegance.

A brilliant fielder in the cordon and also patrolling the deep, Raina could also be relied on for overs of economical off-spin in the early stages of his career.

Suresh Raina Captaincy Record

- Format
- Matches
- Won
- Lost
- Tie
- NR
- ODI
- 12
- 6
- 5
- 0
- 1
- T20I
- 3
- 3
- 0
- 0
- 0
- I T20 League
- 5
- 1
- 3
- 1
- 0

Suresh Raina Awards and Achievements

Few players have been as central to the Indian T20 League narrative as Raina. His drives through the covers and lofts over midwicket lit up many games, and he has accumulated many records and accolades along the way, both while playing for the Indian cricket team and Chennai.

Here are some of Raina’s biggest achievements:

Only Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum scored international hundreds in each format before he became the first Indian, and third batter overall, to do so.
At the World T20 in 2010, he was the first Indian batter to score a T20I hundred, making 101* off 60 balls against South Africa.
He was the 12th Indian to score a Test hundred on debut.
Of those who have led India in ODIs, only Sachin Tendulkar did so at a younger age than him.
He played a record 98 ODIs before winning his first Test cap.

Suresh Raina’s Indian T20 League Journey

He may have led the now-disbanded Gujarat team in the two seasons when Chennai were barred from playing in the Indian T20 League, but it’s Chennai’s yellow jersey that Raina will forever be associated with.

In his 10 full seasons with Chennai, Raina’s lowest run aggregate has been 374 and his strike rate has never dipped below 120. He was pivotal in all 3 of their title wins, scoring a game-changing 35-ball 57 as they won for the first time in 2010.

Here are some of Raina’s biggest achievements in the Indian T20 League:

Raina was the first player to cross 5,000 runs in the Indian T20 League.
Only Virat Kohli has scored more runs for one franchise than Raina has for Chennai.
Raina’s tally of 202 sixes ranks him 7th in the league.
He was the first player to take more than 100 catches in the competition.
He is the 4th player to make more than 200 appearances in the league. MS Dhoni leads the way with 212.

- Format
- M
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 50
- 4s
- 6s
- CT
- Indian T20 League
- 201
- 5495
- 100* vs Punjab
- 32.90
- 136.75
- 1
- 39
- 503
- 202
- 105

Suresh Raina: FAQs

Why did Raina nearly quit cricket?

While staying at a sports hostel in Lucknow, he was bullied and beaten with hockey sticks. At the age of 13, he briefly thought of giving up on his dream.

How did Raina get selected for Team India?

Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell, newly appointed as India’s captain and coach in 2005, spotted him training at the National Cricket Academy while the senior players were there for a camp. Within weeks, he was playing for India in Sri Lanka.

Who is Raina’s favorite singer?

Kishore Kumar. His love of Kishore Kumar’s music helped him bond with seniors like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

How did Raina and MS Dhoni build a friendship that has endured so long?

As inexperienced players called into the national camp in 2005, they were roommates who both preferred to sleep on the floor rather than on the bed.

Who is Raina’s favorite football player?

Lionel Messi is Raina’s favorite footballer, who he has compared to Sachin Tendulkar.

Is Suresh Raina married?

Raina has been married to Priyanka Chaudhary since 2015. They have two children, a girl and a boy.

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