A total of three Indian batsmen have hit centuries in T20 International cricket. While Rohit Sharma has four to his name and KL Rahul has two, the first Indian to get a ton in a T20I was Suresh Raina.
The southpaw played a knock for the ages against South Africa during the 2010 World T20 in West Indies. Raina scored 101 runs off just 60 balls in that match, with nine fours and five sixes, and helped India register a 14-run win.
When in form, Raina could strike the ball as cleanly as any batsman. During that innings, he showcased his full array of strokes and used his wonderful bat-swing to devastating effect.
One of the most memorable moments for me. Scoring a first ever T20i century for my country undoubtedly filled me with a lot of confidence, energy & a never ending zest of giving my 100% to my game every time I’m on the field. pic.twitter.com/1b7MdthbIP
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 2, 2020
#OnThisDay in 2010, @ImRaina smashed a 60-ball 101 in the 2010 Men's #T20WorldCup to become the first 🇮🇳 batsman to score a century in the shortest format.
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) May 2, 2020
WATCH his 🔥 innings against 🇿🇦, which consisted of 9️⃣ fours and 5️⃣ sixes 👀 pic.twitter.com/DqjZY3ocBH
Raina has an impressive record in the shortest format, be it in international cricket or in the Indian Premier League. The left-hander has 1,605 runs to his name from 78 T20Is, with an average of 29.18 and a strike-rate of 134.87. He is the second-highest run-scorer in the IPL, having scored 5,368 runs from 193 matches.