Birthday special: Suresh Raina – Top 3 IPL knocks

Suresh Raina was known by the tag Mr. IPL for the way he just dominated the tournament year after year since the maiden edition. He was always among the consistent run scorers and played a huge part in the success story of Chennai Super Kings until 2021 edition. The left-hander despite his mindboggling stats did not find a buyer in the mega auction this year after which he announced his retirement from IPL. As he celebrates his 37th birthday on this day (November 27), let us look at his top three IPL knocks in the tournament history.

98 off 55 balls against Rajasthan Royals in 2009

Raina produced a high-class innings in the 2009 IPL edition against the Rajasthan Royals and was unfortunate not to get to the century landmark. His brilliant knock comprised of 10 fours and five sixes and propelled CSK to a score above 160 despite the other batters not contributing much. CSK won the game by 38 runs in the end, and Raina picked up a wicket with the ball to complete an outstanding performance.

100* off 53 balls against Punjab Kings in 2013

Despite playing a lot of impactful knocks in IPL, Raina wasn’t able to get to the three-figure mark and he broke the jinx in 2013 against Punjab Kings. The left-hander struck an unbeaten 53-ball 100, which included seven fours and six sixes and his wonderful knock helped CSK post a hefty total on the board. His effort proved to be worthy in the end as CSK won the game by 15 runs.

87 off 25 balls against Kings XI Punjab in 2014

In one of the best IPL innings ever, Suresh Raina blasted 87 runs off just 25 balls in a playoff game against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2014 edition. Raina’s knock consistent of 12 fours and six sixes and he demolished the bowling attack into pieces at an astonishing strike rate of 348 in a run-chase of 224. Despite his heroics, CSK lost the game by 24 runs as they lost the platform after Raina’s dismissal.