Raina's first T20I hundred (Source: @ImTanujSingh/x.com)
When cricket was invented, the world used to marvel at the red-ball thrills. Then came the 50-over format, leaving fans awestruck with its thrills, and just when it felt complete, T20 arrived and flipped the game into a dazzling spectacle.
In the 20-over format, every ball decides the game’s future as some of the stunning performances make the format more iconic. When Team India stepped into the format, the stars shattered the record book with their excellence, just like Suresh Raina’s T20I century in 2010.
Despite battling South Africa in their debut T20I, Team India had to wait four long years for a maiden ton, until Suresh Raina lit up the night with a historic century against the Proteas in 2010. Let’s relive the unforgettable night.
A statement century that cements India’s T20I power
A fearless middle-order marauder with insane striking power, Suresh Raina remains one of Indian cricket’s eternal gems. In the limited over format, he was a beast that India needed in any crucial position. Among his countless game-changing knocks, the maiden T20I hundred against South Africa in 2010 is an iconic one.
Whenever India and South Africa lock horns, especially in the shortest format, it turns into a classic battle. When the cricket giants met in the group stage clash of the T20 World Cup 2010, world witnessed Raina’s brilliance as the batter created a T20 history for India with a classic hundred.
While batting first, India faced a blow as the Proteas marked the early blood, dismissing Murali Vijay on a golden duck in the very first over. After his dismissal, Suresh Raina joined Dinesh Karthik and the South African bowlers faced a setback they had never imagined.
Taking charge, while guiding India towards a safe position, Raina smashed a crucial half-century in 42 balls. Shifting gears after that, the Indian batter smashed the Protea bowlers by smashing his maiden T20 hundred in just 59 balls.
After a steady start with 50 off 42 balls, Suresh Raina exploded, smashing the next 50 in just 17 balls. With an innings of 101 runs in 60 balls with 9 boundaries and five sixes, he pushed India towards a strong total of 186 runs against South Africa.
It was just not his maiden T20I ton, with that knock, team India welcomed their first ever centurion. Since that match to the present day, Indian cricket has produced some T20 beasts but Suresh Raina’s legacy in the shortest format is still untouched.
