Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Suresh Raina has withdrawn from the 13th season of the IPL to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 to November 10 due to personal reasons. Though Raina came to the UAE with the team on August 21 but after a few days, he returned home citing personal reasons.
After Raina’s withdrawal, veteran all-rounder Shane Watson of the team CSK says that the team will miss fellow player Suresh Raina and it will be difficult to compensate him. During this, Watson also named a player who can be a good replacement of Suresh Raina.
Watson said in Nabil Hashmi’s YouTube program that they have to overcome the absence of Raina and Harbhajan. Raina is hard to compensate. He said that Raina is the second IPL player to have scored the most runs in the tournament. Raina has played the most number of matches in the history of IPL. His absence will affect the game.
Shane Watson says there is no doubt that their team will miss Raina but Murali Vijay should get a chance in his absence.
Watson said that there is no doubt that Raina’s withdrawal from the tournament is a big loss for them, but they have Murali Vijay in the team who is an excellent player. He has not got many opportunities in T20 in the last few years but he is a good batsman.
“No doubt he [Raina] is a big loss but we have got someone like Murali Vijay, who is a gun player. In T20 cricket, he has not got a lot of opportunities in the last few years, But he is a seriously good batsman. He was sitting on the sidelines last year, he might get more opportunities this year,” Shane Watson told Quetta Gladiators’ head of player acquisitions, Nabeel Hashmi, in a YouTube show.
Shane Watson on Harbhajan Singh
Soon after Raina, Harbhajan Singh also pulled out of the IPL 2020 citing personal reasons. Undoubtedly, that was another blow for CSK especially considering that pitches in UAE will be on the slower side. In last season of IPL Harbhajan had picked up 16 wickets.
Speaking on Bhajji’s absence, Shane Watson said that undoubtedly their team will miss the leading spinner. But his absence will give someone like Piyush Chawla more opportunities.
“Harbhajan, of course, has done incredibly well for CSK in the last couple of years. But again, on the other side, there is going to be opportunities for someone like Piyush Chawla who has come over from the Knight Riders.
“Of course, their experience and quality is going to be missed but you have got to make the most of the situation,” Shane Watson said.
Chennai Super Kings will open against the defending champions Mumbai Indians on September 19, the day tournament begins.
