Suresh Raina stories are rarely just about cricket. Behind the former India and Chennai Super Kings star’s celebrated career are stories of financial struggle, family sacrifices, hostel hardships, friendships, painful defeats and unforgettable moments with some of India’s biggest cricketers.
In an interview, Raina opened up about several chapters of his life that fans don’t always hear about from sleeping in cricket pads because there was no proper bedding to missing his sister’s wedding because of a crucial match. He also spoke about MS Dhoni, CSK’s difficult phase, his 2020 IPL exit, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.
Here are some of the most memorable Suresh Raina stories from the conversation.
Suresh Raina’s difficult childhood and early cricket days
Raina’s cricket journey did not begin with luxury or easy access to professional facilities.
He recalls travelling to different towns to play local tournaments and slowly building his reputation as a young cricketer. In those days, the infrastructure available to young players was very different from what aspiring cricketers can access today.
During his early cricket career, Raina and his teammates sometimes had to stay in schools rather than hotels. On one particularly difficult occasion, he says there weren’t enough blankets, so he slept wearing his cricket pads to keep warm.
For Raina, these experiences became part of the process of becoming a professional cricketer.
The time Raina ran away to play cricket
One of the lighter Suresh Raina stories concerns a tournament he went to play without properly informing his family.
Raina’s team had progressed to the final, so instead of returning home, he stayed back for the match. His family had no idea where he was.
The lack of mobile phones made the situation even worse. His parents were left wondering where their son had gone.
When he finally returned home, there was little sympathy waiting for him.
Raina recalls being punished by his parents for disappearing without informing them. Looking back, he tells the story humorously, but it also shows just how determined he was to keep playing cricket even as a child.
Raina’s mother, the rolling pin and his love for cricket
Raina openly jokes about the punishments he received at home.
His mother apparently had a particularly effective weapon i.e. the rolling pin.
He also recalls being punished with other household objects when he neglected studies or got himself into trouble because of cricket.
His parents wanted him to study and behave responsibly, while Raina’s mind was increasingly occupied by cricket.
That conflict between education and cricket eventually became an important part of his journey.
He even hid his mathematics book
Raina admits that mathematics was not his favourite subject.
In one amusing incident, he hid his mathematics book under a grain container because he didn’t want to study.
The plan didn’t work.
His family discovered the book, and Raina was punished.
His stories from this period show a boy who was much more interested in spending time on the cricket field than sitting with textbooks.
Raina almost gave up cricket
The dream of becoming a cricketer wasn’t always glamorous.
After entering a sports hostel, Raina experienced intense pressure and ragging from seniors. He describes an environment in which juniors could be subjected to physical tasks, punishments and humiliation.
The experience became so overwhelming that Raina eventually left and returned home.
For a period, he questioned whether cricket was worth all the suffering.
His family and especially his brother helped convince him to return.
That decision became a major turning point. Raina went back to cricket and eventually progressed through the ranks to represent India.
He also speaks strongly against the kind of ragging he experienced, particularly after seeing how badly it could affect young athletes.
The heartbreaking Suresh Raina story about his sister’s wedding
Among all the Suresh Raina stories in the interview, this may be one of the most emotional.
Raina missed his sister’s wedding because of cricket.
At the time, he had an important match and chose to remain with the team. He says that decision has remained a regret throughout his life.
Even years later, he notices his absence when looking at family photographs from the wedding.
He explains that his children also see those photographs and know that their father wasn’t there.
Raina says that, in hindsight, he obviously wishes he could have attended. But he also believes that if he had left for the wedding, he might not have been able to play the match properly.
It is a powerful reminder that a successful sporting career can also demand deeply personal sacrifices.
Sachin Tendulkar gave Raina a lesson in believing in himself
Raina also remembers seeking help from Sachin Tendulkar during a difficult period of his career.
After India had experienced disappointing results, Raina asked Tendulkar if he could practise with him.
Tendulkar gave him time at the Bandra-Kurla Complex and encouraged him to believe in himself.
Raina says that message stayed with him.
The word “Believe” eventually became so meaningful that he had it tattooed on himself.
It is one of the most memorable examples of how a senior player’s encouragement can influence a younger cricketer.
Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni: more than just teammates
No collection of Suresh Raina stories would be complete without MS Dhoni.
Raina and Dhoni shared years together with both India and CSK, and Raina speaks about Dhoni with enormous respect.
He describes Dhoni as a tactically strong and brave captain who knew how to use his bowlers and fielders effectively.
According to Raina, Dhoni could be aggressive when the situation demanded it, particularly in setting attacking fields and using his bowling resources.
Raina also explains that there was a difference between Dhoni leading CSK and leading India. The responsibility of representing the country brought an entirely different kind of pressure.
Raina’s 2020 CSK exit: what happened?
One of the most discussed chapters of Raina’s career was his sudden departure from the CSK camp during IPL 2020.
Several stories circulated at the time.
One version claimed that Raina was unhappy with his hotel room and that the disagreement contributed to his departure.
During the interview, however, Raina addresses the rumours and explains that his absence was connected to a family tragedy. He travelled to Punjab following a death in his extended family and had to remain with them.
How the IPL changed the lives of young cricketers
One of the most important Suresh Raina stories from the interview is his belief that the IPL has changed the lives of talented young cricketers, especially those who come from financially weaker backgrounds.
Raina explains that today, even players who come from families living below the poverty line can get an opportunity to earn money through cricket and support their families. He points out that the IPL has created a pathway where a talented player can change his family’s financial situation through his performances.
If a young player performs well, he can earn enough to take care of his parents and siblings. But for Raina, the opportunity does not end with the money.
He also says that a strong IPL performance can open the door to international cricket. A player who performs consistently at the domestic and IPL levels can catch the selectors’ attention and eventually earn a chance to represent India.
Raina mentions players such as Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal as examples of how cricket can transform the lives of young players from difficult backgrounds.
His point is that the IPL has given talented youngsters two major opportunities: the chance to earn a better life for their families and, if their performances are good enough, the chance to play international cricket for India.
This is a much stronger angle for the article because it shows that, according to Raina, the IPL can be both a financial lifeline and a pathway to international cricket.
Raina’s biggest regrets on the cricket field
Raina admits that some defeats have stayed with him.
He talks about painful World Cup and final defeats, including India’s loss in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the final against Sri Lanka.
He remembers feeling that some of these matches were there for India to win but ultimately slipped away.
Raina also reflects on the fact that he played multiple World Cups without winning every final.
The pain of losing important matches, he suggests, can stay with a player long after the scoreboard has been forgotten.
His tattoo has a story behind it
The word “Believe” on Raina’s body isn’t simply a random tattoo.
It came from a difficult period when he sought advice from Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar’s message to him was to believe in himself, and Raina eventually turned that advice into something permanent.
It’s a small detail, but it beautifully connects one of his most difficult career periods with one of his most important mentors.
Suresh Raina Reveals the Weird Habits of Indian Cricketers
One of the funniest moments in the interview came during the final rapid-fire round, when Saurabh asked Suresh Raina to reveal the strange or unusual habits of some of the Indian cricketers he had played with.
The names discussed included Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar.
Raina revealed that Virender Sehwag drinks a lot of milk. He also shared an amusing superstition about Gautam Gambhir, saying that if Gambhir liked a particular song, he could listen to it repeatedly while getting dressed. If he scored runs while listening to the song, he would continue playing it, but if he got out, he would change the song.
When asked about Yuvraj Singh, Raina recalled the many parties and fun times they enjoyed together. He then jokingly revealed that Yuvraj seemed to believe he was a very good dancer, although Raina did not completely agree. He recalled that Sreesanth was actually a very good dancer, and their shared interest in dancing even created a friendly competition between them.
For Virat Kohli, Raina pointed to his aggression. He said Virat’s aggression could sometimes appear to be too much, especially during moments when players were given a send-off or appeared to use abusive language.
Finally, Raina spoke about MS Dhoni’s extraordinary collection of cars and bikes. According to him, Dhoni owns so many vehicles that taking out one parked at the back can require moving several vehicles standing in front. Raina even joked with Dhoni about why he did not keep the vehicles he used most often at the front. Dhoni apparently had his own practical concern—what if it rained?
Suresh Raina’s Amsterdam restaurant, Indian restaurants and love for cooking
Cricket is not the only passion in Suresh Raina’s life. During the interview, he also spoke about his interest in restaurants and cooking.
Raina has a restaurant in Amsterdam and says he is also associated with food places in India along with a friend. When asked why he chose Amsterdam, he explained that his wife was living there and often struggled to find Indian food. That experience eventually led to the idea of opening an Indian restaurant there.
But Raina is not just involved in the restaurant business — he genuinely loves cooking himself.
He says his wife prefers dishes such as dal, chole, rajma and baingan bharta. However, his favourite way of cooking is the traditional Indian way, on a chulha using cow-dung cakes, coal and an angeethi.
According to Raina, food cooked on a traditional chulha has a completely different taste. Even though gas cooking is convenient and widely used, he says he personally loves the flavour that comes from cooking over a traditional fire.
This is one of the more surprising Suresh Raina stories from the interview because it shows a side of the former cricketer away from stadiums and IPL dressing rooms. From owning Indian restaurants to enjoying simple home-cooked food, Raina’s love for food appears to be deeply connected to his roots.
There is the boy who travelled from one small tournament to another, the teenager who struggled with hostel life, the young cricketer who nearly quit, the brother who missed his sister’s wedding, the batsman who sought advice from Sachin Tendulkar, and the CSK star whose relationship with MS Dhoni became one of the defining friendships of his career.
His story also shows how much Indian cricket has changed. The conditions Raina describes from his early days — sleeping in schools, inadequate bedding and limited resources — are very different from the professional ecosystem available to young IPL players today.
And perhaps that is what makes Raina’s journey so compelling. Behind the runs, trophies and CSK celebrations is a story of sacrifice, family, setbacks and persistence.
For Raina, cricket was never simply a game. It was the road that took him from a difficult childhood to the highest level of Indian cricket.
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