Chennai Super Kings pacemaker Deepak Chahar has passed all mandatory tests from the franchise and the Cricket Control Board in India and will train with the team from Friday, said CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan.
“Deepak has all the necessary authorization from CSK and BCCI and will start training from today,” Viswanathan told ANI.
Chahar was one of only two players on the team, plus 11 other members of the touring group, to test positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the United Arab Emirates. Positive tests extended the CSK’s quarantine period. Even when the rest of the team tested negative and returned to training last Friday, Chahar had to stay indoors to complete his quarantine period and make a full recovery.
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Having completed that now, Chahar will look to be fully fit and available for the opener against the Mumbai Indians on September 19.
Cherry takes you through #YelloveGame that was. #WhistlePodu @ deepak_chahar9 @russcsk pic.twitter.com/RaIu6EUXsp
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) September 11, 2020
Meanwhile, there were reports that CSK could sign Dawid Malan, England’s hitter and number one hitter in the T20I ranking, as a replacement for Suresh Raina. Raina had left the team and flew back home for personal reasons.
Viswanathan, however, quashed rumors that CSK doesn’t have a place for a foreign player.
ALSO READ: Deepak Chahar to return to CSK Fold after negative coronavirus tests
“This is also a first for me because our quota of foreign players is already full. So I don’t know how we can have another foreigner in the squad,” he explained.
CSK also does not have the services of Harbhajan Singh, who will also miss the tournament for personal reasons.
In potentially more troubling news, CSK’s Dwayne Bravo did not play in the Caribbean Premier League final, which was won by his team Trinbago Knight Riders. Bravo was on the field through the 20 overs and is said to have had a slight knee problem.
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