Suresh Raina's 87 v Punjab-best ever I.P.L.knock

[Harsh Thakor]

Suresh Raina's onslaught was like a bomber raiding an airbase or a military tank launching a pounding attack.It contained the imagination of a musical composer,the skill of an architect and the explosive power of a bomb.If he had continued batting Chennai may have been home with some overs to spare!It is the best knock I have ever seen in I.P.L.cricket.Above all it was not sheer slogging but supreme craftsmanship.Viv Richards would have been proud to play an innings like that.To me it is the best batting I have seen in a run chase. I really can't understand why Brian mcullam went for the run.Had he batted one we might have sen a batting epic that may never have been surpassed.Atleast we would have witnessed a great cricket match. The million dollar question is whether Chennai would have coasted home,won by a narrow margin or lost very narrowly had Rain not been dismissed.Remember the outstanding performance of Punjab's slow bowlers who made a total metamorphosis to the state of the game.In the end the run rate went to 20 with 3 overs to go and 24 were required in the final over.Maybe Chennai would have missed out by inches even had Suresh Raina scored a hundred!Rarely have I seen the complexion of a t-20 game change so much after the dismissal of one batsman. Really sad to see Chennai not making a fist of the game let alone loosing it.

[Vilander]

No if Suresh Raina has played for a couple of more overs, then it was curtains for Punjab surely. Even if other batters batted sensibly after his exit yest they could have coasted, Chennai was 100 in 6 overs, they had to make 126 in next 14, which is par for the course. Chennai batters for the most part batted badly and lost, punjab spinners pegged them back. But Punjab played well and deserved to win.

[JaiRamesh2]

This staged IPL Nosense in wrong thread

[Sidhoni]

I agree..could have been best ever T20 innings if he stayed till 15 th over

[kubrickian]

5 more overs of Raina and it would have been Game Over for Punjab. His run out was the turning point.

[vvvslaxman]

Most daring attempt to chase down a gigantic total. It was like EA sports cricket. To think that we had bot these guys for WC 2011wow

[Straight Drive]

Best innings by CSK batsman yesterday, but Sehwags was the match winning. There is no use of ifs and buts in cricket. I don't see a point in saying had Raina stayed till 15th over or 20th over. Well he did not. Had Sehwag played till 20th over K11P would have made even 300. It's pointless to say if this had happened etc. Corey's innings in run chase was better as it helped MI to qualify into the playoffs. Yusufs innings too was better than Raina's as it helped the team make the playoffs under tremendous pressure of RRR. Bith Corey and Yusuf won matches for MI and KKR respectively which Raina failed. Raina's innings was awesome but Corey and Yusuf played better match winning innings.

[vvvslaxman]

Best innings by CSK batsman yesterday, but Sehwags was the match winning. There is no use of ifs and buts in cricket. I don't see a point in saying had Raina stayed till 15th over or 20th over. Well he did not. Had Sehwag played till 20th over K11P would have made even 300. It's pointless to say if this had happened etc. Corey's innings in run chase was better as it helped MI to qualify into the playoffs. Yusufs innings too was better than Raina's as it helped the team make the playoffs under tremendous pressure of RRR. Bith Corey and Yusuf won matches for MI and KKR respectively which Raina failed. Raina's innings was awesome but Corey and Yusuf played better match winning innings.

That I is why afridis 141 > Tendulkars 136

[Straight Drive]

That I is why afridis 141 > Tendulkars 136

Afridi made 141 :omg:

[vvvslaxman]

Afridi made 141 :omg:

Same match both made 100s. Tendu choked with 17 runs to get with more than a day at his disposal.

[Straight Drive]

Same match both made 100s. Tendu choked with 17 runs to get with more than a day at his disposal.

Good for Afridi if in some matches he played better than Sachin.

[tweaker]

I think it was of Anderson

[achilles]

No. I would rate all of Yusuf Pathan's inngs in IPL1 , his 100 in IPL3 and his 70 odd this yr as better knocks than this one. I think Steve Smith played a blinder too, along with James Faulkner No offense to Raina, but Pathan has won his team games coming in at Dhoni's batting position and won impossible games.