Suresh Raina - 10 years of international cricket
Suresh Raina is set to celebrate 10 years of international cricket. Yes, you heard it right. He is still young, but the 28-year-old debuted against Sri Lanka on July 30, 2005. The journey to stardom though hasn't been easy for the elegant southpaw as he made a duck in his first international outing when he failed to read the doosra of the Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan.He has come a long way after that disastrous start. The Uttar Pradesh Ranji team captain is now a vital cog in the Indian ODI and T20 side. He is one of those guys who can change the course of the game in the blink of an eye with his power hitting.He has always been a selfless player who does everything for the team's needs, batting down the order when needed though he has always expressed his desire to bat at the top of the order. The first thing he says when he receives the Man of the Match award is, "God has been really kind". According to him the most important thing is to be a good human being.Here are 10 things that make Raina a special player:
#10 81* against England in Faridabad (2006)
Chasing 227, India were struggling at 80-4 in the 22nd over. A then 19-year-old Raina walked in next. India lost yet another wicket soon after and were rattling at 92-5.
Raina however, rose to the occasion and played a matured innings that guided India to a 4 wicket victory. It was his first fifty and the 89 ball knock consisted of 8 boundaries and a six. The pitch was slow and wasn't easy to bat on, but the left-handed batsman made it look effortless. That innings made the world realize that this young man was someone special.