Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has won the IPL Championship on three occasions and has qualified for the IPL finals on 8 occasions. CSK is arguably the most popular franchise in the IPL and is the only franchise that has been led by the same captain MS Dhoni since the launch of the IPL.
CSK fans are concerned about their team’s chances of winning the 2020 IPL after news broke that Suresh Raina will drop out. Raina had flown with CSK to Dubai to take part in a practice camp in the lead up to the IPL which starts on Sep 19. CSK have not only lost Raina but have also decided to postpone their training camp to Sep 1 after more than 10 members of their squad have tested positive for COVID-19.
Why Did Raina Exit?
There are multiple reasons as to why Suresh Raina decided to pack up in Dubai and fly back to India. One of the most obvious reasons is because his family have suffered a tragedy in India. Raina’s uncle and aunt from Thariyal village in Pathankot were attacked in the middle of the night. The attackers used weapons that resulted in significant injuries from Raina’s aunt while his uncle succumbed to injuries and passed away.
There is no further information if the attack was a robbery or if this was a vendetta. The aunt who is serious is the sister to Raina’s father. There is one thought that Raina has flow back to be with his family during this time of grief.
However, reports suggest that Raina had already spoken to CSK about flying back to India before the attack. Reports suggest that Raina was finding it difficult to stay in the IPL bubble and was feeling the pressure mentally. Raina wanted to be with his family and did not think he could stay in the bubble during the entire duration of the IPL.
The third reason is that when Raina learned that over 10 members of the CSK franchise had tested positive, he panicked and decided that it was better he exited the bubble. Raina has two young children and it appears that he did not want to take the risk of catching COVID-19 and putting his family at risk.
CSK organizers were apparently caught off-guard by his request to drop out as he was expected to play a big role in helping CSK win another title.
Did CSK Not Follow BCCI Protocols?
The fact that so many members in the CSK squad have tested positive for COVID-19 has raised a lot of alarm bells. CSK nor the BCCI have released any names of the 13 people who have tested positive but unconfirmed reports state that 10 CSK support staff including net bowlers have tested positive while 1 fast bowler and 1 top order India A batsmen have tested positive. The unconfirmed names are Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
CSK carried out a training camp in Chennai from Aug 15 to 20 before the team departed to Dubai. Officials are looking into the protocols that CSK followed during the camp as well as in their flight to the UAE.
There were a number of pictures posted on social media which showed that CSK players and personnel had flouted the protocols laid down by the BCCI. The standard operating procedures (SOPs) requires players to social distance at all times and wear triple layered face mask in public. The pictures on social media show CSK players without any masks and not maintaining any social distancing guidelines.
One of the players from another IPL franchise posted a picture showing him and a teammate in their hotel room. This was during the quarantine period when players are supposed to be in self-isolation. The picture has since been deleted by it just shows that the players are not following the SOPs laid down.
It will now be up to the BCCI to see how they are going to enforce the SOPs and what disciplinary action will be laid down on players who breach these rules.
