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Bengaluru, September 4: Harbhajan Singh will miss the IPL 2020 and the veteran off-spinner has conveyed his call to Chennai Super Kings and the franchise has confirmed this through an official announcement on Friday (September 4). Harbhajan cited 'personal reasons' to skip the IPL 2020, set to begin in the UAE from September 19.
"Harbhajan Singh informed us he won't be available due to personal reasons. Team Chennai Super Kings is supportive of his decision and stands by him and his family during these testing times," Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said through a tweet.
Harbhajan also tweeted his decision. "I will not be playing IPL this year due to personal reasons.These are difficult times and I would expect some privacy as I spend time with my family. @ChennaiIPL CSK management has been extremely supportive and I wish them a great IPL. Stay safe and Jai Hind," he tweeted.
It is another setback for Chennai Super Kings after Suresh Raina returned home last seek citing family commitments. Now, the Super Kings will most likely to have to find replacements for Raina as well as Harbhajan Singh.
It looks quite remote at the moment that either Harbhajan or Raina can join the team on a later date, particularly with stringent travel and bio-secure bubble protocols are set in place after the Covid 19 pandemic. Raina had expressed his desire to return to CSK bubble after team owner N Srinivasan criticised his sudden exit from the UAE.
Though Srinivasan later softened his words and said the Super Kings management is firmly behind players, he did not give any indications of Raina getting welcomed back to the CSK fold soon. Harbhajan's withdrawal is an equally strong blow as his experience and bag of tricks could have come handy for CSK on the slowish UAE pitches.
Chennai Super Kings in particular have been hit hard by the pandemic effect. Last week, 13 CSK members were tested positive for the Covid 19 virus including two players - Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, they have been tested negative since and will return to practice sessions soon ahead of IPL 2020.
MS Dhoni, who had retired from international cricket on August 15, will lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2020 and they are expected to face defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the IPL 13 on September 19.
The Super Kings are the current runners-up in the IPL. Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the most successful IPL sides having won the title on three and four occasions respectively.
However, the CSK have been left with far too many hurdles to cross even before the start of the IPL 2020.
