New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Suresh Raina has unfolded about the genuine reason behind his sudden decision to withdraw from IPL 2020 and fly back to India on August 29. The left-handed batsman said he had to return for his family as there was something that needed to be addressed immediately.
“It was a personal decision and I had to come back for my family. There was something that needed to be addressed immediately on the home front,” Raina told Cricbuzz. There have been various reports and discussions regarding pulling himself out of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) but the former India cricketer denied them, terming his decision to quit CSK camp was a ‘tough’ one.
Suresh Raina has returned to India for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of the IPL season. Chennai Super Kings offers complete support to Suresh and his family during this time.
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 29, 2020
KS Viswanathan
CEO
“CSK is my family too and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is very important to me and this was a tough decision. There is no issue between CSK and me,” Raina added. The southpaw, who has earlier represented CSK in all 10 seasons, said he is looking forward to playing IPL for the next four-five years.
“Nobody will just turn their back on Rs 12.5 crore and walk away without a solid reason. I might have retired from international cricket but I’m still young and I am looking forward to playing for them in the IPL for the next 4-5 years,” Raina added.
“I have a young family back home and I was concerned about the fact that if something happened to me,” he said. “My family is most important to me and I am really concerned for them during these times. I haven’t seen my kids for more than 20 days, even after coming back, since I am in quarantine.”
Earlier on September 1, Raina had tweeted urging help from the government and police after his close relatives were attacked and killed in Pathankot, Punjab. “The Pathankot incident was horrible and has really been very disturbing for everyone in our family. And it was my responsibility to come back and take care of them. But since I’ve returned, I’ve been in quarantine here. So, I still have to go meet my parents and my bua who are all in great distress,” the 33-year-old added.
Till date we don’t know what exactly had happened that night & who did this. I request @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this matter. We at least deserve to know who did this heinous act to them. Those criminals should not be spared to commit more crimes. @capt_amarinder @CMOPb
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) September 1, 2020
Earlier, 13 CSK members including two cricketers had tested positive for COVID-19 giving rise to the various question on the bio-secure bubble in the UAE, but Raina said what the BCCI doing is a commendable job for everyone’s security and safety.
“The team management and BCCI are doing a very commendable job keeping everyone safe. This has never been done before and it’s new for everyone. It’s a highly secure environment and no one without access can move anywhere. We were all inside our rooms with no human interaction and there was a test every 2 days,” Raina signed off.
The 13th edition of IPL has been pulled out of India due to the rising COVID-19 cases in our country. The league is all set to begin from September 19 to November 10 in the UAE.
