On November 27, 2024, former Indian batting star and IPL legend Suresh Raina celebrated his 38th birthday. The cricketer who occasionally served as stand-in captain for the Indian men’s team as well as Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Raina represented Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and was a reliable aggressive left-handed middle-order batter and an off-spin bowler. Raina became the second-youngest player to lead Men in Blue.
In his IPL career, Raina led Gujarat Lions as well served as the vice captain of five-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings. Raina entered into history books as he became the first Indian batter to record a ton in all three formats of international cricket. Raina was a part of the 2011 ODI World Cup squad as well as the ICC Champions Trophy squad which won the title in 2013. Raina, or Sonu, as he is fondly called, became the first Indian to score a century in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Raina made his debut in Ranji Trophy for Uttar Pradesh in February 2003, during the game against Assam. However, he couldn't play another game during the season. Speaking of his List A Cricket, Suresh played his first game against Madhya Pradesh in Indore in 2005 and came up with a knock of 6 runs. Known as one of the greatest fielders to have played the game, Raina announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket on August 15, 2020, following the footsteps of former India and CSK teammate MS Dhoni.
Suresh Raina's Popular Achievements
After his successful career in cricket, Raina followed his passion of cooking and opened his Indian restaurant in Amsterdam, Raina, which serves authentic Indian food. Here are some of his most prominent achievements:
Raina is the first Indian player to score 6000 as well as 8000 runs in T20. He became the first Indian player to score a century in T20I and Champions League Twenty20. First ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in IPL. He has the record of most no.of catches (107) in the IPL. Raina is the second after Chris Gayle and first Indian player to hit 100 sixes in the IPL. The former Indian star is the highest run scorer in the CLT20 (842 runs). Chinna Thala, as he is called by CSK fans, holds the record for scoring the most fifties in Champions League T20 history. He holds the record for the most runs scored in the powerplay in an IPL match.
