Raina, who had retired from international cricket in 2020, wrote on Twitter, “It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of Cricket. I would like to thank BCCI, UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association), Chennai Super Kings, Rajiv Shukla sir and all my fans for their support and unwavering faith in my abilities.”
A product of the India Under-19 setup and a part of the 2004 world cup, Raina made his first-class debut in 2002-03 for Uttar Pradesh. He went on to play 109 first-class matches, scoring 6871 runs and picking 41 wickets. The southpaw gained more success in limited overs cricket. After making his List A debut – a format he played 302 games in, scoring 8078 runs and taking 64 wickets – in 2005 against Madhya Pradesh, he was fast-tracked into the national side.