Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Suresh Raina, in an interview with Cricbuzz, has opened up about his sudden withdrawal from IPL 2020, but hinted at a possible return to the camp for the tournament.
Soon after Raina returned to India due to “personal reasons”, and was declared unavailable for the tournament by the franchise, there were rumours that his exit had something to do with a “rift” in the camp, specifically with skipper MS Dhoni, over a hotel room. His decision followed an update from BCCI that 13 members of the CSK contingent in the UAE had tested positive for Covid-19.
“There is no issue between CSK and me,” Raina clarified. “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.
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“I have a young family back home and I was concerned about the fact that if something happened to me, unka kya hoga? (what’ll happen to them). 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.”
On September 1, Raina, through a tweet, suggested that a personal tragedy had also contributed to his decision to fly back to India ahead of the IPL. After the announcement was made, CSK owner N Srinivsasan, in an interview, had called Raina a “prime donna”, questioning his decision to leave the team, only to later issue a clarification.
Raina, the most-capped IPL player, flew back to India on Saturday.https://t.co/ElggVbhHBM
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 30, 2020
Raina said that Srinivasan was like “a father figure” to him, and his statements were taken out of context. “He didn’t know the real reasons for me leaving when he gave those comments,” Raina said. “Now he’s been informed about them, and he even sent me a message thereafter.”
Raina, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, was pretty vocal about his preparation for the upcoming IPL season, and was part of CSK’s pre-tournament camp before their departure. When asked about the future with the franchise, Raina said that there’s a possibility he might actually return to the camp this year.
“I’ve been training even while quarantining here. You never know you might see me in the camp there again.”
