In a major blow to the Chennai Super Kings camp, senior batsman Suresh Raina was forced to return home from UAE ahead of the Indian Premier League due to personal reasons.
Later, the former Indian cricketer said that he would be unavailable for the rest of the season after his family was brutally attacked in Punjab. Reports of a rift between Raina and CSK captain MS Dhoni had even emerged during this time, but were promptly refuted by the cricketer.
The 33-year-old’s fans were very put-off by the news, and requested their ‘Chinna Thala’ to rethink his decision and return to the CSK camp.
Speculations around Raina’s return started to mount after the cricketer hinted that he may return to UAE this IPL season. “You never know, you might see me in the camp again. First, I have to take care of my responsibilities here and then am ready,” he told NDTV. Adding to this, Raina even shared a video where he could be seen training.
‘Have a Feeling Raina Will be Back’
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta seemed to suggest that Raina may be rejoining the Yellow Army in UAE, even if he has to miss the first few games due to the strict quarantine protocols.
“I have a feeling that Suresh Raina will be back playing the IPL. He might miss out on the first few games because of the quarantine rules and all but I have a feeling that Suresh will be back. I won’t be surprised if they don’t pick a replacement for Suresh.”Deep Dasgupta to ESPNCricinfo
Raina May Have to Get BCCI Clearance Before Returning
Reports have also suggested that Raina will have to get clearance from the BCCI if he wishes to return for the league as the board does not know the exact reason behind his exit.
A BCCI official told Times of India, "What the BCCI will have to do is evaluate what exactly were the reasons. If it's about his family, it's his personal reason. If it was a rift with MS (Dhoni), then it's CSK's internal issue. If he came back because of depression, then it's a mental issue. We can't let him go if he's depressed. Who'll be responsible if something goes wrong?"
Captain, Management Will Decide: N Srinivasan
N Srinivasan, the owner of CSK, has said that the decision of Raina’s return will be made by the skipper and the team management since he “owns the team, and not the players”.
Chennai Super Kings are yet to name a replacement for Raina, who is their highest run-scorer in the IPL, which may also suggest that the middle-order batsman may return to the league this season.
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