Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina has opened up about the actual reasons behind his sudden decision to fly back home from UAE and give IPL 2020 a miss. The left-hander said he had to come back 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 suggesting a rift between the IPL’s second highest run-getter and the CSK team management but the former India cricketer denied them, terming his decision to quit CSK camp a ‘tough’ one.
“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.
Raina, who has represented CSK in all 10 seasons the franchise has been a part of the IPL, 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,” Raina 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.”
Raina had tweeted seeking help from the government and police after his close relatives were attacked in Pathankot.
“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.
13 CSK personnel including two cricketers had tested positive for Covid-19 giving rise to question marks on the bio-secure bubble in the UAE, but Raina said the BCCI doing are a commendable job for everyone’s security.
“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 said.
