India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina rated his 25-ball 87 he had played against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in 2014 as ” a very special knock”.
CSK were chasing a target of 227 runs in a vitual semifinal (Qualifier 2) of Indian Premier League (IPL). They lost Faf du Plessis (0) when their score was just 1. It was then when Raina entered the ground and the rest is history.
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The southpaw smashed the KXIP bowlers all over the park with the help of 12 fours and six half-dozens, helping CSK score 100 runs in just six overs. He completed his half-century in just 16 balls.
But as fate would have it, Raina got run out after that and CSK eventually lost the match by 24 runs.
“87 off 25…Not Out of our hearts and minds forever,” said CSK from their official Twitter handle.
Retweeting the post, Raina said: “Only thing was running through my mind was not to give up and make it through. So badly wanted to make it to the finals. It will always remain a very special knock for me.”
In the normal circumstances, Raina, who last played for India in 2018, would have been playing in IPL but as the mega event is “indefinitely” postponed due to the novel Coronavirus, the southpaw is spending time at home with his family.