NEWSOne more player of Chennai Super Kings Ruturaj Gaikwad has tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday (August 19) ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in UAE.
The right-handed top-order batsman, who has been a part of India A teams in recent past and is a prolific performer in Ranji Trophy.
Earlier, Deepak Chahar was among 12 members of Chennai Super Kings contingent who tested positive in Dubai on Friday.
While it is expected that Raina will be issuing a statement later in the day, sources close to the franchise said that one of the biggest draws in IPL desperately needs some downtime to be with his young family at the moment.
CSK's quarantine period in Dubai has already been extended till September 1.
"Suresh's absence will be a big blow for the CSK and also, he is one of the biggest draws in IPL. But in these times, if any player doesn't feel 100 per cent and has some other pressing priorities, any team respects that and CSK is no different," a senior IPL official privy to development in CSK camp told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
While it is understood that the tournament is not under threat as of now but one franchise becoming a "COVID-19 hotspot" is slowly becoming an issue for other teams as well as the BCCI.
"If there are 13 cases from only one franchise then it is an issue for sure for everyone. The biggest aspect will be whether foreign cricketers will now start being panicky as they are more touchy about these issues," an official said. "We need to keep a tab on players' mental health," he added.
Picture Courtesy: Chennai Super Kings Twitter Account
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