Suresh Raina is one of the best middle order batters that Indian cricket has seen in over 30 years and he has won numerous matches for India in his illustrious career. He retired on 15th August 2019 and since then his presence is being missed in the Indian team currently. In a decade long career there have been many great innings and especially the ones in the 2011 World Cup will be remembered by every Indian fan. He was a pure all rounder who could bowl a few overs If one of the main bowlers was going expensive.
Suresh Raina played 226 ODI Matches for India and in those Matches he scored a total of 5615 runs at a very good average of 35.31 for a middle order batter. He has scored 5 ODI hundreds and 36 Half centuries and cameo innings which helped India greatly. He also took 36 Wickets in ODIs thus proving that he was a handy right arm off spin bowler. So, let’s see the Top 5 Best innings of Suresh Raina.
89 vs England (2006)
This was early on in his career and in this match India were in a spot of bother when he came out to bat. England batted first in this match and scored a modest 226 and it looked like India would get the win but at 92-5, India were in a precarious position and from here it was Dhoni and Suresh Raina who built the innings and Suresh Raina made a brilliant 89 and guided India home and the name Suresh Raina became a star and Dependable as well for the nation.
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101 vs South Africa (2010)
This was the first T20I hundred scored by an Indian batter and it came in the World Cup of 2010 against probably the best bowling attack in the tournament which had the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis and they were not prepared for the Suresh Raina show as he scored 101 in just 60 balls and he hit 9 fours and 5 big sixes and due to his incredible hundred India won that match by 14 Runs.
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36* vs Pakistan (2011)
This innings is neither a 50 or a hundred but it is probably among the Top 3 most important innings he has played in his career. This match was the semi final of the 2011 World Cup vs Pakistan and India were in bother and out came Suresh Raina and he expertly took runs and hit fours as well and kept the scoreboard ticking. He made 36 runs from 39 balls at a strike rate of 92 and hit 3 fours and this allowed India to post a good total of 260 on the board and in the end India won the match by 29 runs.
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100 vs England (2014)
It looks like Suresh Raina was made for tough situations and this time it was no different as India were coming from a 3-1 year series loss and this OD in Cardiff was a chance to right the wrong. Suresh Raina came in when the match was in the balance and with Dhoni again he led the way with a brilliant hundred in just 75 balls which consisted of 12 fours and 3 maximums and this allowed India to post a great score of 304 in the 50 overs and India won the match comfortably.
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110 vs Zimbabwe (2015)
The last innings of Suresh Raina that we will talk about is a special one as it yet again came in a match that India should have won easily but Zimbabwe played a great match and posted a good score of 287 runs in the first innings and while chasing India were reduced to 92-4 and then came the ever Dependable pair of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni and they were the saviors again. Suresh Raina was the anchor In the innings as he scored 110 in 104 balls with the help of 9 fours and 4 huge sixes and India chased down the target with 8 balls remaining in the match.
Number | Year | Opponent | Runs scored |
1. | 2006 | England | 89 |
2. | 2010 | South Africa | 101 |
3 | 2011 | Pakistan | 36* |
4. | 2014 | England | 100 |
5. | 2015 | Zimbabwe | 110 |
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