Chennai: India batsman Suresh Raina has picked Mathew Hayden’s swashbuckling 93 in just 43 deliveries using the unique ‘Mongoose Bat for Chennai Super Kings in a 2010 Indian Premier League (IPL) game as his favourite memory from the cash-rich league.
Raina was leading three-time winners CSK in that game against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) at the Feroz Shah Kotla and had also chipped in with 49.
But it was Australia legend Hayden’s 93 that stole the show as the men in yellow won by five wickets.
Hayden was using a unique bat at that time which had a longer handle and a short but bulky base.
“I want to say one good inning of your’s against Delhi. You scored 93 with that mongoose bat. Every ball was going out of the park. You played so well on that particular wicket because the wicket was turning and Delhi played so really well. They scored 190 or 185 something and you were looking so solid,” Raina said in a video posted on his Twitter handle while replying to Hayden.
“We had a good partnership, I scored 49 in that game. I was captaining the side, you made me believe we can win from that situation. That was a very very good knock of yours. I still have the signed bat that you gave to me. I’m gonna share it with you, I hope you remember the autograph that you gave me,” he added.
The 2011 World Cup winning southpaw, who recently became a father for the second time, further nominated South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis to share his favourite IPL memory.
“Now I would love to pass the yellow love to my brother from South Africa Faf du Plessis. Now, you have to tell us your favourite inning and show us the yellow love,” Raina said.
Hayden had nominated Raina in a video posted on the official CSK Twitter handle wherein he talked about his favourite IPL moment which he said was meeting Tibetan spiritual leader The Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.