The backbone of Indian middle-order batting, the match-winner, the ‘Arjun’ of team India’s ‘Karan-Arjun’, the reason for a billion hopes and MSD’s best friend Suresh Raina celebrates his 33rd birthday today!
Nostalgia hits hard when the middle-order fails to score and a ‘Raina-less’ team stumbles to defend a low total on score-board.
Anyways, trying to brush off the disappointments of Raina not getting selected in the T20 squad for upcoming T20 series against WI *Ye Bik Gayi Hai BCCI*
Let’s get to Raina a little better on his birthday. Here are some lesser-known facts about him:
– The second-youngest player ever to captain India and the first Indian batsman to hit a century in all three formats of International Cricket, there’s an interesting story about Raina’s Test debut!
The destructive left-hander scored a century on his Test debut against India’s southern neighbours, and that remains his only century in the longest format of the game to date.
Via: CNN.com
– Made his debut in ODI against Srilanka in 2005 at the age of 19, the aggressive batsman failed to score and got out on first ball duck!
Via: Deccan Chronicle
– Raina hones the honour of being the first Indian batsman to score a century in T-20 Cricket in the 2010 World Cup T-20, which also remains the only ton scored by an Indian in the World Cup.
Via: Zimbio
– An Army brat from Jammu and Kashmir, there were rumours once, of Raina having an affair with Indian Team’s captain, Virat Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma (when she wasn’t his wife, of course)! Given that even she belongs from the same background, it doesn’t come as a shocker! *Or does it?*
Via: Pinkvilla
– Raina has NEVER missed a single game for CSK in 11 years! Even Dhoni, who missed 3 games loses to him in this regard. True, every Dhoni deserves a Raina in his life!
Via: The Indian Express
– The epitome of greatness in T20 cricket, the powerful hitter holds the record for scoring the most runs in an IPL career. Raina has 3,699 runs under his name in the 132 matches that he has played and has a very good average of 34 plus. This includes a century and 25 half-centuries and a highest score of 100 not out.
Via: Gulf News
– The proud owner of a Porsche Boxster Limited Edition luxury car bought in the year 2013, he went for a yellow colour because it matches the colour of his IPL franchise!
Via: CvC
– In an interview recently, he spilled the beans about his best friend Mahi, when he said, “People think that it is sheer luck that has brought him where he is right now, but let me tell you it is not. MS Dhoni ALWAYS knows how the game is going to end! He always everything planned out, people just don’t know they’re working out his plan!”
*We feel you, Raina, we do*
Via: DNA India
– Raina can even sing! He went on to sing a song for a 2015 Bollywood film named ‘Meeruthiya Gangsters’; it is a romantic number titled ‘Tu Mili Sab Mila’
*Could you be any more dreamy?*
So these were some unknown facts about Suresh Raina. We wish him a very Happy Birthday and hope to see him hitting boundaries over boundaries soon!
We miss you, Raina!