Suresh Raina became the first Indian batter to score an international century in all three formats, and he did it before India had even fully settled into the T20 era. His unbeaten 100 against England? No the landmark came earlier, when he smashed 101 against South Africa at the 2010 T20 World Cup. That innings completed a rare set after his Test debut hundred and ODI centuries.
For many Indian cricket fans, however, Raina is remembered just as strongly for the IPL. He spent most of his career with Chennai Super Kings, scored 5,528 runs in 205 matches, and became one of the defining middle-order batters of the tournament early years. In 2019, he became the first player to reach 5,000 IPL runs.
This Suresh Raina biography covers his early life, international debut, career statistics, IPL teams, records, retirement, wife, family and reported net worth.
Suresh Raina Biography: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Suresh Kumar Raina |
| Date of Birth | 27 November 1986 |
| Age | 39 years |
| Birthplace | Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Left-handed batter, part-time off-spinner |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm off-break |
| International Debut | ODI vs Sri Lanka, 30 July 2005 |
| Test Debut | vs Sri Lanka, 26 July 2010 |
| T20I Debut | vs South Africa, 1 December 2006 |
| IPL Debut | 2008 |
| Main IPL Teams | Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions |
| International Retirement | 15 August 2020 |
| Retirement from All Cricket | 6 September 2022 |
His date of birth and playing details are listed by the IPL and Cricbuzz, while ICC records confirm his international career and retirement history.
Early Life and Education
Suresh Kumar Raina was born on 27 November 1986 in Muradnagar, in Uttar Pradesh Ghaziabad district. Cricket became a serious ambition while he was still a teenager, and he moved to Lucknow to train at Guru Gobind Singh Sports College. His time in the sports system gave him a route into higher-level junior cricket.
Raina progress through age-group cricket was quick. He captained Uttar Pradesh at Under-16 level and attracted attention from national selectors after being picked for India Under-19 tour of England in 2002. He later represented India at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, an important step before his senior career took off.
His early development also included valuable exposure to international cricketing standards. He received a Border-Gavaskar scholarship and trained in Australia, an experience he later described as an important part of his growth as a player.
The move from Muradnagar to Lucknow was a major turning point. Raina was no longer simply a talented young batter; he was now part of a structured pathway producing players for Uttar Pradesh and, eventually, India.
Suresh Raina International Debut
Raina made his international debut for India in the ODI format against Sri Lanka on 30 July 2005 in Dambulla. He was only 18 at the time. His arrival came during a period when India were looking for young players capable of adding energy to the middle order and fielding unit.
His three international debuts were:
- ODI debut: 30 July 2005 vs Sri Lanka
- T20I debut: 1 December 2006 vs South Africa
- Test debut: 26 July 2010 vs Sri Lanka
The Test debut became the most memorable of the three because Raina scored 120 at Colombo. That century made him the first Indian batter to score a hundred in all three international formats after he had already registered ODI and T20I centuries.
His international career was much stronger in limited-overs cricket than in Tests. Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is for India, finishing with 7,987? No his correct international aggregate is 7,788 runs, according to the ICC career summary. His ODI record accounted for 5,615 runs, while he made 1,605 in T20Is and 768 in Tests.
Suresh Raina Career Stats
Raina numbers show where he made his biggest impact. His ODI record is especially notable for a middle-order player who was often asked to change roles depending on the match situation.
International Batting and Fielding Stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Avg. | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 18 | 31 | 768 | 120 | 26.48 | 53.14 | 1 | 7 | 23 |
| ODIs | 226 | 194 | 5,615 | 116* | 35.31 | 93.50 | 5 | 36 | 102 |
| T20Is | 78 | 66 | 1,605 | 101 | 29.18 | 134.87 | 1 | 5 | 42 |
| IPL | 205 | 200 | 5,528 | 100* | 32.51 | 136.73 | 1 | 39 | 109 |
Bowling Stats
Raina was never India primary bowler, but his right-arm off-spin gave captains another option.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 18 | 13 | 2/1 | 3.47 |
| ODIs | 226 | 36 | 3/34 | 5.11 |
| T20Is | 78 | 13 | 2/6 | 7.59 |
| IPL | 205 | 25 | 2/0 | 7.38 |
Across international cricket, Raina finished with 62 wickets. His value was less about bowling long spells and more about giving the captain a few useful overs when a matchup or situation called for it.
Suresh Raina IPL Career and Teams
Raina IPL career is closely tied to Chennai Super Kings. He was part of CSK from the inaugural 2008 season, moved to Gujarat Lions for 2016 and 2017 when CSK was suspended, and returned to Chennai in 2018.
His overall IPL record is:
- Matches: 205
- Runs: 5,528
- Highest score: 100*
- Average: 32.51
- Strike rate: 136.73
- Centuries: 1
- Fifties: 39
- Catches: 109
- Wickets: 25
Raina 205 IPL matches remain entirely from his 2008–2021 playing span. He did not play the 2022 season and later retired from all cricket.
Suresh Raina and Gujarat Lions
During CSK two-year absence from the IPL, Raina became the captain of the Gujarat Lions. The Rajkot-based side played in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and Raina led the franchise for almost all of its matches. He scored 841 runs for Gujarat Lions during those two seasons.
His leadership experience was not limited to the IPL. Raina had also captained Uttar Pradesh and led India in both ODIs and T20Is on several occasions.
Why Raina Became an IPL Icon
Raina IPL value came from more than his run total. He regularly batted in the middle order, could accelerate quickly, bowled occasional off-spin and saved runs in the field.
His best individual IPL innings remained a talking point for years. In the 2014 Qualifier 2 against Kings XI Punjab, Raina blasted 87 from only 25 balls, producing a strike rate of 348 in the innings. The official IPL record book listed it at the time as the highest strike rate in a T20 innings of at least 20 balls.
His maiden IPL century came in 2013, when he made 100* against Kings XI Punjab. That season he scored 548 runs, while the following years continued to strengthen his reputation as one of the tournament dependable middle-order scorers.
On 23 March 2019, Raina reached another landmark by becoming the first batter to score 5,000 runs in IPL history. He crossed the mark against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Suresh Raina International Career Highlights
Raina most productive ODI years included 2008 and 2012. According to the ICC, he scored 680 ODI runs in 2008 at an average of 45.33, while he made 492 at an average of 41.00 in 2012.
One of his most important international contributions came at the 2011 ODI World Cup. In the quarter-final against Australia, Raina made 34*, helping India complete a successful chase. He followed it with an unbeaten 36 against Pakistan in the semi-final. India went on to win the tournament.
Raina was also part of India 2013 Champions Trophy winning squad. BCCI official annual report lists him among the Indian players who lifted the title in England and Wales.
For readers interested in other Indian cricket profiles, the Jasprit Bumrah biography and Mohammed Siraj biography provide similar career-focused coverage of two later-generation India fast bowlers.
Suresh Raina Records
Raina collected several notable records during his career.
First Indian to Score International Hundreds in All Three Formats
His 101 against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup completed centuries in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He became the first Indian batter to achieve the feat.
First Player to Reach 5,000 IPL Runs
Raina reached 5,000 IPL runs in the opening match of the 2019 season against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Virat Kohli became the second player to reach the milestone a few days later.
200 IPL Matches
In 2021, Raina became the fourth player in IPL history to appear in 200 matches. His final IPL tally eventually rose to 205.
Strong Fielding Record
Raina was a regular presence in the inner ring and finished his international career with 167 catches. He also took 109 catches in the IPL.
Part of Major India Title-Winning Squads
Raina was part of India 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning side.
Suresh Raina Wife and Family
Suresh Raina married Priyanka Chaudhary Raina on 3 April 2015 in Delhi. Contemporary reporting described Priyanka as Raina childhood friend.
The couple have two children, daughter Gracia and son Rio. Priyanka has also been associated with the Gracia Raina Foundation, which she co-founded with Raina.
The foundation official website describes Raina as its co-founder and says he started the organization with his wife to support women and children.
Readers looking at other player biographies may also find the Rinku Singh biography useful for a different story of an Indian left-handed batter rising through domestic and T20 cricket.
Suresh Raina Net Worth
There is no publicly verified or audited figure for Suresh Raina personal net worth. Sports and financial websites have commonly placed his wealth at around ₹200 crore, or roughly US$25 million, but those numbers should be treated as media estimates rather than an officially declared total.
His earnings over the years have come from several areas, including:
- IPL contracts
- International cricket earnings
- Brand endorsements
- Television and cricket commentary
- Business and other commercial ventures
Raina long association with CSK was particularly significant financially as well as competitively, but exact lifetime earnings should not be confused with current net worth.
Suresh Raina Retirement
Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August 2020, shortly after MS Dhoni announced his own international retirement. At that point, however, Raina had not retired from every form of cricket. He continued playing IPL cricket in 2021.
His final IPL appearance came for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in October 2021. He went unsold in the 2022 IPL auction, and on 6 September 2022 he officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, including domestic cricket and the IPL.
That distinction is important because many older biography pages incorrectly use 2020 as his full retirement date.
Suresh Raina After Retirement
After stepping away from professional cricket, Raina moved into roles away from the playing field, including television commentary and appearances around T20 competitions. His retirement from all forms of cricket also made him eligible to explore overseas leagues under the rules applicable to active Indian players at the time.
His connection with the game did not disappear. His experience in India middle order, his IPL years and his time working under different captains have made him a familiar voice in cricket coverage.
For another international career that crossed generations, the Brian Lara biography covers the West Indies batting great whose career belongs to a very different era from Raina.
Suresh Raina Legacy in Indian Cricket
Raina importance to Indian cricket cannot be measured only by his international batting average. His strongest value came from being useful in several parts of the game at once.
He could bat at different positions, contribute part-time off-spin, field aggressively and handle the pressure of T20 cricket. His 5,528 IPL runs, 25 wickets and 109 catches show that all-round usefulness clearly.
His Test career never reached the level of his limited-overs career, but his 120 on debut remains one of the memorable moments of his international record. In ODIs and T20Is, he became part of India development into a stronger white-ball side and played important roles in major tournaments.
For fans who watched the first decade of the IPL, his name is difficult to separate from CSK early identity. He was one of the players who helped make the franchise a consistent force, winning IPL titles with Chennai in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021.
Final Thoughts
Suresh Raina biography is ultimately a story of a player who found his strongest identity in limited-overs cricket. From his debut for India in 2005 to his record-breaking IPL career with CSK, he became one of the recognizable names of India’s white-ball generation.
His 2010 T20I century, 2011 World Cup contributions, 2013 Champions Trophy triumph and 5,528 IPL runs remain important milestones. His retirement in 2022 closed the playing chapter, but his association with cricket has continued through commentary, public appearances and work away from the field.
FAQs
1. When did Suresh Raina make his international debut?
Suresh Raina made his ODI debut for India against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on 30 July 2005. He later made his T20I debut in 2006 and Test debut in 2010.
2. What is Suresh Raina highest international score?
Raina highest Test score is 120, his highest ODI score is 116*, and his highest T20I score is 101. His T20I century against South Africa in 2010 made him the first Indian to score a hundred in the format.
3. How many IPL runs did Suresh Raina score?
Raina scored 5,528 runs in 205 IPL matches at a strike rate of 136.73. He made one century and 39 fifties.
4. Which IPL teams did Suresh Raina play for?
He played mainly for Chennai Super Kings and represented Gujarat Lions during the 2016 and 2017 seasons when CSK was suspended.
6. When did Suresh Raina retire from cricket?
Raina retired from international cricket on 15 August 2020. He retired from all forms of cricket, including the IPL and domestic cricket, on 6 September 2022.
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