Chennai Super Kings, among the most successful sides in the Indian Premier League history, are struggling to match their own reputation and expectations. The team’s balance is affected adversely with the absence of their two seasoned processionals – Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh.
Going into the IPL 2020 the CSK had lost the two seasoned pros. Raina had flown back from Dubai after 13 members of the contingent, including seamer Deepak Chahar and wicketkeeper-batsman Ruturaj Gaekwad, had tested positive for the COVID-19 infection. Harbhajan did not travel with the team due to family reason and later opted out of the IPL Season 13.
As the mid-season player transfer window opened after all the teams had played seven matches each, speculation was rife that CSK might look to rope in a player or two to restore the balance affected by Raina’s absence.
Delhi Capitals’ Ajinkya Rahane, who had been confined to the dugout except for playing in one match as the replacement for injured wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant, was tipped to be the right choice for the CSK to fill in the void created by Raina’s absence.
The Yellow Lions’ management, however, will not be looking for a replacement.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that the team is not keen on taking a player for just six matches. As per the mid-season transfer guidelines, any player acquired by a team cannot figure in the XI for the match against his “parent” team. The acquired player also goes back to his “parent” team after the completion of the season. That would effectively make the acquired player available for six of the remaining seven games.
“CSK have never bought or released players in the mid-season transfer window and we have honestly not even gone through the rules and regulations that come into play if we are looking at a transfer. We are not looking at any player,” Viswanathan told news agency ANI.
“It is a competition after all and I don’t think anyone would want to loan players to another franchise. Some might be playing and others might not, but all players are picked at the auction with numerous plans in mind and for different situations that might arise during the course of the tournament. You do not go in with just Plan A. You have an A, B, C and D.”
Meanwhile, there has been no action on player acquisition ever since the transfer process has started since yesterday (Monday).