Ever since arriving in the foreign land of the UAE, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has been enduring a rough couple of weeks, ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
Firstly, around 13 members of the contingent, including a couple of players, have contracted the novel coronavirus. And now, the rest of the squad can’t hit the ground for training since their quarantine period has been extended until September 06.
If this wasn’t enough, their vice-captain Suresh Raina flew back to India over some disagreements with the team management. This was a double whammy for the ‘Yellow Army’.
CSK owner and former BCCI President N Srinivasan is, however, unfazed with the whole saga as he believes MS Dhoni will make everything alright.
“I spoke to MS (Dhoni) and he has assured me that even if the numbers go up, there was nothing to worry about. He spoke to the players through a zoom call and asked them to remain safe. You really don’t know who is a passive carrier. I have got a solid captain. Dhoni is simply unfazed by anything. That is giving everyone in the team a lot of confidence,” Srinivasan was quoted as saying by Outlook.
‘Sometimes success gets into your head’: Srinivasan on Raina
Srinivasan further talked about Raina’s sudden withdrawal from the tournament and also compared the latter to self-centred actors from olden days.
“Cricketers are like prima donnas … like the temperamental actors of the olden days. Chennai Super Kings have always been like a family and all seniors players have learnt to co-exist. My thinking is that if you are reluctant or not happy, go back. I don’t force anyone to do anything … sometimes success gets into your head,” concluded the 75-year-old.
Meanwhile, the 13th season of the cash-rich league is scheduled to commence from September 19. The complete fixture is not yet revealed by the apex cricketing body.