Suresh Raina retires from international cricket
Minutes after former India captain MS Dhoni announced his international retirement on Instagram, Raina followed suit with an announcement of his own. Raina was an indispensable part of Dhoni's white-ball sides for a major part of his career, winning the 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy under him.
Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, Jay Shah, paid tribute to the batsman in a statement in which he praised not only Raina's batting but also his energy and enthusiasm in the field.
“Suresh Raina has been arguably one of the finest T20 batsmen," Shah said. "A live wire on the field, Raina’s prowess as a left-handed batsman was exhibited throughout his cricketing career. A big match player, Raina’s cameo against Australia in the quarterfinal in the 2011 World Cup was a testimony to his glittering career that followed. I wish him all the very best in the second innings of his career."
Raina, who made his international debut against Sri Lanka in 2005, went on to feature in 226 ODIs, scoring 5615 runs at 35.31. He also notched up five centuries and 36 half-centuries in the format. He made 78 T20I appearances, accumulating 1605 runs with a hundred and five fifties.
Suresh Raina to join Dhoni on his journey 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/kmkbf8RQJ2
— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020
His most successful year in ODI cricket was 2008, where he scored 680 runs in 18 innings at an average of 45.33 and a strike-rate above 100. He also had a 40-plus average in 2012, recording 492 runs at 41.00 in 17 innings. He also played a vital role in India's 2011 World Cup victory, notching up scores of 34* and 36* in successful chases against Australia and Pakistan in the quarter-final and semi-final.
The left-hander was an important part of India's revolution in fielding, setting the bar high with his athleticism on field. He claimed 167 catches in his international career.
Match Hero – Suresh Raina
With his 228-ball 120 against Sri Lanka on Test debut, Raina became the first India batsman to score a century in all three formats of the game. While his Test career did not reach the same level as his white-ball feats, the left-hander managed to record eight 50-plus scores in the format, including the debut hundred. He accumulated 768 Test runs at 26.48 in 18 matches.
His final international appearance came in a T20I against England in 2018.