Chennai Super Kings went to the United Arab Emirates to prepare for the thirteenth season of the Indian Premier League and appeared to be in full swing with Captain MS Dhoni and Vice Captain Suresh Raina leading the way. But news soon emerged that Raina would have to return to India for personal reasons. It was not specified why Raina returned to India, but there were several floating reports on the matter.
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Raina’s absence will be a huge loss for CSK as he has been an integral part of their success in the past with consistent performances in the middle order. The team leadership will have to deal with her absence and find someone to keep the hitting department together.
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Shane Watson recently spoke about Raina’s departure, stating that it would be difficult to replace the batter next season due to his phenomenal IPL record.
“We have to (deal with the absence of Raina, Harbhajan). The best thing about CSK, like all IPL teams, is that they have a lot of depth. It’s going to be incredibly difficult to replace Suresh Raina. You can not. Scored second-most runs in IPL, played most games in IPL history. He has records left, right and center, ”Watson said on a YouTube show hosted by Nabeel Hashmi.
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“You are going to be greatly missed, knowing that conditions in the UAE are hot, more likely that the terrain will be drier and spin a bit more. Raina also plays spins incredibly well. “
But it’s not like Watson doesn’t have a player in mind who could take Raina’s place for next season. Watson feels that Murali Vijay is a capable hitter who has what it takes to perform for CSK in the United Arab Emirates.
“No doubt he [Raina] it’s a huge loss, but we have someone like Murali Vijay who is a weapons player. In T20 cricket, he hasn’t had many chances in recent years. But he’s a really good hitter. I was sitting on the sidelines last year, I could have more opportunities this year, ”Watson said.
CSK opens their campaign on September 19 against the defending champions of the Mumbai Indians.
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