Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni during CSK days - (Source : AFP)
It was a chill evening on August 15th, 2020, when the entire nation celebrated the 74th Independence Day from their homes amid the pandemic scare, which is when one Instagram notification shook the entire cricketing fraternity.
'The Pal Do Pal Ka Shayaar Hun' lyrics never felt so emotional as MS Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket with a simple post and a montage of his Indian career, thanking fans and all those who helped him in his journey.
The entire nation was in so grief over Thala bidding adieu that it overshadowed another World Cup winner's retirement. Yes, Suresh Raina, one of India's greats, too, followed his friend's footsteps and bid adieu to international cricket just at the age of 33.
Raina's 13-Year Long Career Filled With Steller Feats
Raina burst onto the international scene as a dynamic left-handed batsman and an agile, electric fielder. He debuted for India at just 19, and registered a century on Test debut — a rare feat for an Indian cricketer.
He's the first Indian to hit a century in all three formats (Test, ODI, T20I), and his performances in T20 cricket were trailblazing — holding records for most runs and catches in IPL for the longest time and being the first to reach landmarks like 6,000 and 8,000 T20 runs for India, and topping the charts in Champions League T20.
Raina played vital roles in India’s 2011 World Cup win and 2013 Champions Trophy, often delivering in crunch moments. At Chennai Super Kings, his exploits with the bat and his athleticism helped the franchise clinch multiple IPL titles.
Suresh Raina has enjoyed a successful career as the southpaw scored 7988 runs in 322 matches. However, the career wasn't celebrated enough as it was overpowered by his friendship with MS Dhoni.
Raina's Career Overshadowed By Dhoni's Friendship
On August 15, 2020 — Indian Independence Day — Dhoni shocked the world by announcing his retirement from international cricket via a social media post. Just half an hour later, Raina announced his own retirement, a gesture underlining their close-knit friendship and respect.
Suresh Raina's cricketing journey is filled with brilliant milestones — from being the first Indian to score centuries in all formats to being one of the most reliable middle-order batsmen and fielders the country has produced. Yet, his narrative is often entangled with his close friendship with MS Dhoni, a relationship of deep trust and mutual respect that became iconic in Indian cricket but also cast a shadow on Raina’s own legacy.
The retirement questioned Raina's individuality as he had a lot of years left in him and the last thing fans wanted him was to forgive his years of struggle to wear the Indian jersey at the age of 33 and follow his friend.
“We played so many matches together. I was fortunate to play with him for India and with CSK. We got a lot of love. I've come from Ghaziabad, Dhoni from Ranchi. I played for MS Dhoni, then I played for the country. That's the connection. We've played so many finals, we won the World Cup. He's a great leader and a great human being,” were Raina's words after he decided to retire from Indian cricket as quoted by the India Times.
Thus, such words and the constant MS Dhoni mentions made cricket fans question Raina's individual performance and merged his individual success to Thala's efforts.
Early Retirement: A Wrong Signal To The Youth
The retirement sent a wrong signal and broke a million fans' hearts who wanted to see Raina play for a few more years. While Dhoni's retirement came at 38, Suresh only bid adieu at 33, which sent a signal that playing alongside MSD mattered more than the hunger for featuring for India.
As a cricketer, the first thing taught to any sportsperson is to fight and fight for the spot. Raina served the nation till 2018, before he was out of the scheme of things.
Thus, in that moment, Suresh should have fought for his spot and waited for a miraculous comeback rather than drop a random post announcing retirement on the evening of 15th August evening.
Friendship with Dhoni: Blessing and Burden
Raina’s camaraderie with MS Dhoni — both at CSK and in the national team — is legendary. Referred to as ‘Chinna Thala’ (little leader) alongside Dhoni, ‘Thala’ (leader), Raina thrived under Dhoni's captaincy, and their understanding powered many memorable victories for club and country.
But the deep bond also brought Raina unwelcome scrutiny. Externally, his selection and positioning in the team were frequently linked to his equation with Dhoni, a criticism Raina himself acknowledged as hurtful: “It wasn't pleasant knowing that people always linked my place in the team to my friendship with the former India captain,” Raina wrote in his autobiography.
Even so, Raina has always credited Dhoni as a mentor and an inspiration, a driving force who brought the best out of him. Their shared backgrounds — small towns, traditional values — built a partnership whose warmth resonated far beyond cricket.
Raina's Legacy; Hard To Ignore For Indian Fans
Suresh Raina remains one of the most decorated cricketers of his generation, his record stacked with unique achievements and match-winning performances. In cricketing folklore, however, he is remembered as much for his breathtaking skills as for being the ultimate team man in Dhoni’s era — an underrated hero whose glitter often blurred next to the brilliance of his friend.
His story is a reminder that while cricket is a team sport, destinies sometimes intertwine in ways that are both beautiful and bittersweet.
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