Everybody needs a second fiddle in their lives. Just as
Michael Jordon had Scottie Pippen, Lionel Messi had Andres Iniesta, MS Dhoni
had Suresh Raina by his side, always. As soon as Dhoni announced his retirement
in an Instagram post, Raina followed suit and announced his retirement, as well,
in a similar style, in an Instagram post. The 33-year-old left-handed batsman
considered MS Dhoni not only his favourite captain but also a mentor. Always
following in Dhoni’s footsteps, Raina followed him in retirement too.
Also read | When Suresh Raina said MS Dhoni was his ‘guiding force’
Raina is among the few who scored centuries across formats.
He played 18 Tests, 226 One-day Internationals (ODIs), and 78 T20Is. A skillful
all-rounder, Raina has 36 ODI wickets under his belt and 13 wickets each in
Tests and T20Is.
Also read | Suresh Raina’s Instagram post on CSK’s return prompts heartfelt reply from Sakshi Dhoni
When the news about his retirement rolled, India captain Virat Kohli among others wished Raina luck for his future ahead.
A perfect partner to anyone who was out in the middle, Raina held the innings together and helped his team cross the
victory line.
One may remember the unbeaten 34 against Australia at
Ahmedabad during the 2011 World Cup, an innings that impeccably supported Yuvraj
Singh’s all-round heroics.
Also read | Dhoni, the ‘Captain Cool’ who lifted all three major ICC tournaments
In the semi-final of the same tournament, the unbeaten 36
was pure gold dust but Sachin Tendulkar’s scratchy 85 remains in our collective
conscience.
Although Raina did not fit the role of lead every time, he did
hold his own in a significant number of matches as his seven hundreds across
three formats (only one among three with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma being the
other two) and nearly 8000 (7988 to be precise) international runs would
suggest.
Both Raina and Dhoni will play for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. The T20 tournament begins on September 19.
