The recent developments for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise have left a few question marks on the progression of the tournament.
CSK was set to feature in the high-octane opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) on September 19.
Even MI skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed the news while congratulating MS Dhoni on his retirement from international cricket.
However, things took a drastic turn with the diagnosis of the 13 CSK staff members as positive for novel coronavirus.
As a result, the quarantine period of the CSK members has been extended until September 6. Therefore, the three-time winners need an extra week to train for the upcoming tournament.
Hence, the ‘Men in Yellow’ are now out of contention to take part in the opening game of the competition.
Now, it is most likely that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will participate in the opening clash of the league, replacing CSK.
RCB were the third team to reach the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and have already begun their training after completing self-isolation norms.
“It could possibly be Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) because in the first match, you’ll need star players on the field. If MS Dhoni is missing, then it has to be Virat Kohli,” a source privy to the matter told TOI.
It means fans would see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the toss on September 19.
Out of the 13 members found positive, two of them were players, namely Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaekwad.
Amidst coronavirus scare wreaking havoc in CSK camp, Suresh Raina shocked one and all by pulling out of the tournament, citing personal reasons.
Reportedly, Raina had a fallout with the CSK team management regarding hotel rooms and decided to come back home.
In CSK owner N Srinivasan‘s words, Raina developed a ‘Prima Donna’ attitude during his stay in the UAE.