![Suresh Raina. [Source - AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1780125772246_SureshRaina.jpg?type=hq)
Suresh Raina. [Source - AFP]
In IPL history, several great innings have entertained fans, but only a few continue to be remembered more than a decade later. One such knock came from Suresh Raina during IPL 2014 Qualifier 2 against Kings XI Punjab.
The innings lasted hardly half an hour, yet its impact remains unmatched. Even today, whenever a batter plays a destructive T20 innings, Suresh Raina's unforgettable 87 off 25 balls finds its way back into the conversation.
On This Day- Suresh Raina Produced One Of The Greatest IPL Knocks Ever
Asked to chase a massive 227-run target at the Wankhede Stadium, Chennai Super Kings suffered an early setback when Faf du Plessis departed for a duck in the opening over. That brought Suresh Raina to the crease much earlier than expected.
What followed was pure batting brilliance. Raina attacked every bowler that came his way, smashing boundaries all around the ground. Mitchell Johnson's pace, Sandeep Sharma's swing, and Parvinder Awana's variations simply had no answer to the left-hander.
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Raina got to his half-century in just 16 balls and raced to 87 runs from just 25 deliveries, striking 12 fours and eight sixes. Remarkably, only seven of the 25 balls he faced failed to reach or clear the boundary as he completely dominated Punjab's bowling attack.
By the end of the powerplay, CSK had stormed to 100 for 2, with Raina alone contributing 87 runs. He was eventually run out by a brilliant direct hit from George Bailey, ending an innings that felt almost unreal.
CSK Let Suresh Raina Down After Smashing 87 Off 25 Balls
When Suresh Raina was dismissed, CSK had already reached 100 runs and required only 127 more from 83 deliveries. Despite losing their third wicket, the chase remained firmly under control with plenty of batting still to come.
However, the momentum disappeared after Raina's departure. No other batter could continue the same attacking approach as Kings XI Punjab fought back brilliantly and eventually secured a 24-run victory to book their place in the IPL final.
Fans Still Talk About The Knock More Than A Decade Later
The most remarkable part about the innings is that it came in a losing cause. Usually, defeats push great performances into the background, but Suresh Raina's 87 off 25 was simply too special to be forgotten by cricket fans.
Even today, discussions around the most destructive innings in IPL 2026 often begin with this knock. While Chris Gayle holds the record for the most runs scored in a 25-ball window in IPL history, no batter has surpassed Raina's 87 runs in his first 25 balls.
More than twelve years later, the innings continues to echo through IPL history. It lasted hardly half an hour at the Wankhede Stadium, but for many fans, Suresh Raina's breathtaking 87 off 25 remains the benchmark of T20 destruction.
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