Updated: August 30, 2020 8:30:42 am
Former India player and Chennai Super Kings star Suresh Raina has withdrawn from the Indian Premier League that kicks off on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates. (File photo)
Former India player and Chennai Super Kings star Suresh Raina has withdrawn from the Indian Premier League that kicks off on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates.
On Saturday morning, a statement on CSK’s official Twitter account said that Raina had returned to India for personal reasons and that the franchise offered “full support to Suresh and his family during this time.”
Later that day, the BCCI, in a press release, said that 13 staff members in the United Arab Emirates, including two players, had tested positive for Covid-19. While the Indian junta did not identify those infected, it emerged that they are all from the CSK tour group. By the way, CSK is the only team that held a five-day camp in Chennai before flying to the United Arab Emirates.
Those in the know say that while Raina’s proof was clear, the growing number of Covid cases around him and the subsequent extension of the quarantine period for CSK prompted the southpaw to take this step.
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Raina’s departure came as a surprise even to his teammates, as the player had just kept his franchise and Captain MS Dhoni in the loop.
Before leaving for the United Arab Emirates, an unusual cricket tour that would keep him away from home for nearly three months, Raina had talked about missing his family, especially his son, who was born during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Dhoni, Raina with her fellow Chennai Super Kings on the day they announced their international retirement. (Source: Instagram)
“I spent most of my time with my family. My son’s online classes have started so I was busy with that. The real challenge will begin for me when I am away from home, during the IPL. Since I was with them for the last five months, I enjoyed every moment, ”he had said.
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From the moment the players landed in the UAE, they have undergone multiple tests and been asked to confine themselves to their rooms, not even allowed to meet up with their teammates.
While most teams have started training, CSK’s isolation period is likely to be lengthened given the increase in positive cases. It emerged that CSK players, during an online meeting, were informed that their expected training day has now been postponed to the first week of September.
READ | In UAE for IPL, quarantine of the week is the first challenge for players
Meanwhile, the BCCI, in its statement, said that between August 20 and 28, 1,988 Covid RT-PCR tests were carried out.
“All affected personnel, as well as their close contacts, are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other members of the team. They are being monitored by the IPL medical team. Per the IPL 2020 health and safety protocols, testing on all participants will be conducted regularly during the IPL 2020 season, ”she said.
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