IPL 2020: Absence of Suresh Raina is a matter of great concern, says Dean Jones

Former Australia cricketer Dean Jones feels that Suresh Raina’s absence in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be a matter of great concern for three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). CSK team will start their campaign in the 13th edition of Indian Premier League on September 19 against defending champions Mumbai Indians.

Both veteran Raina and senior CSK spinner Harbhajan Singh have pulled out of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League due citing personal reasons.

“Raina’s absence is a major concern this time and he is in the top 5 run-getters in IPL. He is a left-hander and plays spin very well and the weakness for CSK could be that majority of their players are right-handed,” Jones told Star Sports.

“They need some left-handers or they could get stuck and particularly if they are playing to leg-spinners and the ball is going away. So, whether to go with Sam Curran or Jadeja and Bravo or Tahir.

“Watson and Dhoni haven’t batted for long. Raina and Harbhajan have gone home as well, so it is up to Fleming and Dhoni, how they gel the team together,” he added.

MS Dhoni will be the centre of attraction for everyone as he will be seen playing in IPL after he retired from international cricket last month.

He has not played a competitive game since India’s World cup semifinal loss to New Zealand in July last year.