CSK CEO: On replacement of Suresh Raina By David Malan.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan quashed England’s left-handed Dawid Malan claims to replace Suresh Raina in the IPL 2020 squad of Chennai Super Kings.

CSK has been tight-lipped about a substitute after senior-professor Raina decided to fly back to India and give this year’s IPL a break due to some personal reasons.

 Still, it emerged on Friday reports that No.1 rated T20I batsman Dawid Malan, who was in fantastic late form, could replace the former Indian batsman.

However, Viswanathan denied the reports suggesting the eight players’ international quota is already full in the CSK squad. 

This is also good for me since our international player quota is already complete. So I don’t know how we in the squad can have another foreigner, “Viswanathan told ANI.

Asked if there was some problem of injury with some other international the player that contributed to the reports, he said there was no one.

The comments by Viswanathan also somewhat remove questions about the inclusion of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in this IPL. 

Dwyne Bravo did not bowl in the CPL final that Trinbago Knight Riders won because of an injury, a few eyebrows raised.

Raina wasn’t the only setback CSK got in Abu Dhabi on September 19 before their IPL opening match against defending Mumbai Indians. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was another squad member who had chosen, for personal reasons, to pull out of the tournament.

However, so far, the CSK management showed very little interest in appointing a substitute for either of the two experienced cricketers. Medium-pacer Deepak Chahar has cleared to practice from Friday in some good news for the three-time champions.

Viswanathan said not only from the CSK side but also from the BCCI medical team, Chahar has got an all-clear and is ready to hit the running ground.

“Deepak has all the requisite CSK and BCCI clearance and will start training from today,” he said.