The Legend of 'Chinna Thala': Suresh Raina's Legacy in CSK and IPL
Suresh Raina was an integral part of CSK throughout his IPL career (Source: Twitter)
Only a few dare to give it their all for the team unless the name is Suresh Raina. And the team here is none other than his beloved 'Chennai Super Kings' - The side that made the legend of 'Chinna Thala'.
A young Indian baby-faced southpaw relatively new to his national side debuted in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 wearing the iconic yellow. From there onwards, things changed forever.
For More Such Reads from OneCricket, Click Here.
Raina's legacy is too big to define in a statement or a paragraph. It's so big that it's bigger than Shakespeare's longest sonnet.
The man who didn't know the meaning of the word give up, the man who was an astute commander to his general MS Dhoni, the man who was the face of the league is fondly remembered as 'Mr. IPL'. Chinna Thala was much more than his stats and figures. He was the person who defined the meaning of sportsmanship.
At one stage, one of the highest run-getters in the IPL, his most powerful knock came when CSK was looking at a potential loss in Qualifier 2 of the 2014 edition against Kings XI Punjab. The target of 227, the yellow army, was almost out of the competition when they lost their first wicket, but then came a warrior who reminded everyone of his capabilities. Raina took the onus on himself and did what most won't even think of. Smashing 87 runs from 27 balls is no joke, but that guy made it look like bread and butter. The fluency with how he played it made the best notice it. However, what followed was one of the most forgetful moments in CSK's history- the runout that broke a million hearts. Although Chennai lost the match by 24 runs, that knock is still fresh in the hearts of those who watched it with their hands on their hearts.
Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni have been the backbone of CSK, since the inception of IPL (Source: Twitter)
Suresh Raina and IPL Trophies: A never ending tale of romanticism
This person was at the helm whenever CSK had their hands on the trophy. Not just for his batting, he was the flying machine for the Super Kings. Grabbing catches that looked unreal, he was the biggest asset that anyone could have.
One thing that separates Raina from other players is that he was and still is a huge fan of his side. The loyalty is unprecedented, and the love is unmatched. He was a man on a mission and achieved what he wanted.
The success didn't just come with determination; it came with the passion that 'Chinna Thala' brought with him when he was just Suresh Raina.
.jpg?im=Resize=(250, 250) "Arnav Chopra")
