5 top non-century IPL knocks in a losing cause

#1 Suresh Raina’s 87 off 25 for Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab

Over the past few years, Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab have given us some breathtaking contests. The one in 2014 was quite similar. It was a knockout game and the winner would be going to the IPL final.

CSK won the all-important toss and surprisingly decided to chase. Punjab got off to a flying start with Sehwag being the aggressor. Sehwag continued his flawless batting and notched up a splendid 122 which gave the Punjab outfit a commanding 226 on the board.

It was a tall chase and CSK were desperate to get off to a good start. Faf du Plessis was dismissed in just the second ball of the innings and in came Suresh Raina. Right from his first ball, Raina looked in sublime form and his glorious batting display sent a few jitters in the Punjab camp.

Raina seemed unstoppable and it needed something special to dismiss the man from Uttar Pradesh and that’s exactly what happened. A brilliant piece of fielding by the Punjab skipper George Bailey found Raina well short. The crowd at Wankhede applauded the sensational knock of 87 off just 25 balls which included 12 fours and 6 sixes.

Raina’s special knock went in vain as Punjab sealed a 24 run win and booked their place in the grand finale for the very first time.