The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, originally scheduled to commence from March 29, is all set to begin after a period of 5 months from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Several cricketers, who spent the time in lockdown are bracing themselves for the 13th edition of the cash-rich league.
The list includes veteran Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Suresh Raina, who has been keeping himself in shape and taking part in fitness drills. Raina was in fact spotted at India seamer Mohammed Shami’s farmhouse field in Amroha, pursuing skill training.
Recently, on the eve of being appointed as the brand ambassador for fantasy gaming platform WTF Sports, Raina gave an interview to Hindustan Times, where he spoke about his preparations regarding the upcoming IPL and his dear friend from CSK, MS Dhoni.
“It’s good to be back for IPL. We are all excited for this season. We have been working really hard for this edition, and I am sure everyone will enjoy the action,” said Raina when asked about this return of competitive cricket.
Raina was quizzed about Dhoni’s return to the cricket field as well. The 33-year-old said that MSD was practising hard during CSK’s training session before the coronavirus pandemic impacted the world.
“I was there with him, and he was practising really hard (before the pandemic). Hopefully, you will see his helicopter shot soon. He’s been a great brand ambassador for IPL and such a great cricketer. You will see him in his best fighting spirit. He’s all pumped up and looking forward to going to UAE and entertain all his fans,” Raina articulated.
When it comes to playing with empty stands, Raina said that it would be a big problem to play without any support. The left-handed batsman opined that he would definitely miss the fans.
“That would be a challenge, and I was reading somewhere that we might have 30-40% crowds. But even then, it would be difficult. We will be missing our Chennai crowd. But this year we have an extra responsibility. Since all the fans will be watching the game on TV, we need to make sure the best cricket is played, and we need to go out there and play strong for CSK,” added Raina.
Raina is the second-highest run-scorer in IPL history. The Muradabad-born has stockpiled 5368 runs in the lucrative league in 193 games, with one hundred and 38 half-centuries.
