Suresh Raina’s ability to take the game away from the opposition makes him one of the most feared middle-order batsman. Raina may not be a regular in the team but his presence in the squad strengthens both batting as well as the bowling department. While he was unlucky to miss out in the ODI series against New Zealand due to illness, Raina last represented India in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. The shorter the format of the game, the more aggressive and lethal is his gameplay. As the all-rounder turns 30 today, here are 11 reasons that prove Suresh Raina is a gifted southpaw.
11: Raina has never missed a match while playing for his former IPL team Chennai Super Kings
10: He was the captain of the U-16 Uttar Pradesh team and from there he went on to represent India
9: 17-year-old Raina was selected for the U-9 World Cup in 2004, where he smashed 3 half-centuries
8: He made is ODI debut at the age of 19 against Sri Lanka
7: Suresh Raina is the 12th Indian batsman to score a century on Test debut
6: He is the second highest run-scorer in IPL with 4098 runs to his name
5: Raina was 23-years-old when he became the youngest captain for India in the T201 format. He is the second youngest after MAK Pataudi (21) to lead India in any format.
4: It was under Raina’s captaincy that Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin made their T20 debut
3: He is the first Indian batsman to score a century in all three formats (ODIs, T20Is and Tests)
2: Raina’s captaincy in season 9 of IPL, helped Gujarat Lions become the first team to qualify for play-offs
1: He is multi-talented. Raina lent his voice for the song, “Tu Mili Sab Mila”, in the Bollywood film, Meeruthiya Gangsters
We hope Suresh Raina has a great year ahead and goes on to represent India in many more T20Is and ODI matches.
