The off-spinner, who is one of only three bowlers to capture 150 or more wickets in the IPL, did not travel with the team to the UAE last month, staying back in India, reportedly to be with his wife, who was ill.

Harbhajan Singh becomes the second Indian to pull out of the tournament: Suresh Raina went home after having concerns with the bio-secure arrangements in place for the players in Dubai. Harbhajan was initially supposed to join the team on September 1.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed Harbhajan’s unavailability with a statement: “Harbhajan Singh informed us he won’t be available due to personal reasons. Team Chennai Super Kings is supportive of his decision and stands by him and his family during these testing times”.

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This will be the first time that Harbhajan misses an IPL season. He has featured in 160 games since the inaugural edition in 2008, picking up 150 wickets at 26.44. He was part of Mumbai Indians for the first 10 seasons, before switching to CSK in 2018.

Harbhajan Singh informed us he won’t be available due to personal reasons. Team Chennai Super Kings is supportive of his decision and stands by him and his family during these testing times.

KS Viswanathan
CEO

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) September 4, 2020

CSK, who have been under quarantine for two weeks since their arrival in the UAE, will begin their training on Friday, September 4. Last week, 12 members of the travelling contingent tested positive for Covid-19, including two players.