Chennai Super Kings vice-captain and veteran middle-order batsman Suresh Raina has made the first public statement after returning from the UAE for “personal reasons”. Speculation has been rife ever since Raina decided to leave his Chennai Super Kings team and returned home from Dubai on Saturday last.
While the CSK has issued an official statement that Raina had returned home for “personal reason”, there have been new reports that the southpaw had left because of a rift over his hotel room. It was also reported that he got paranoid and worried about himself and his family after 13 members of the CSK contingent, including players Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaekwad, were reported positive for COVID-19 infection.
A section of media had also reported that Raina’s career with the CSK, with whom he had been associated all through the inception of the IPL in 2008 except for the two years when the team was under suspension, is over.
SportzFront on Monday has confirmed that Raina had reached out to the CSK management after reaching India. CSK’s supremo N Srinivasan had also stated that the team stands by its veteran players.
Also read: Raina reaches out to Chennai Super Kings management
A tragedy had struck Raina’s family last month. His uncle was brutally killed by robbers at his Pathankot house on the night of August 19. His aunty, her mother-in-law and two sons were also critically injured in the attack. One of his cousins breathed his last on Monday night.
Raina for the first time has made a public statement on how the incident has affected him and his family.
“What happened to my family is Punjab was beyond horrible. My uncle was slaughtered to death, my bua (maternal aunt) & both my cousins had sever (sic) injuries. Unfortunately my cousin also passed away last night after battling for life for days. My bua is still very very critical & is on life support,” Raina has stated on his official twitter handle @imRaina.
What happened to my family is Punjab was beyond horrible. My uncle was slaughtered to death, my bua & both my cousins had sever injuries. Unfortunately my cousin also passed away last night after battling for life for days. My bua is still very very critical & is on life support.
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) September 1, 2020
Raina’s aunt and the other cousin are still in the hospital, while her mother-in-law was discharged after recovering from the blows inflicted by the robbers. He was expected to visit his aunt’s family in Pathankot.
The Chennai Super Kings had to start practice after completing their mandatory six-day quarantine period on Friday last. However, the isolation had to be extended by two more weeks in the wake of the COVID-19 positive tests in the camp.