5 Players who can replace Harbhajan Singh in IPL 2020

Chennai Super Kings have suffered major blows ahead of the commencement of much-awaited IPL 2020. The Chennai franchise, days before the tournament, were jolted after 13 members of the CSK squad had tested positive for the coronavirus. To make things worse, their vice-captain Suresh Raina also decided to opt out of the league and head back to India citing personal reasons.

It’s been downhill ever since for the Yellow Army as they’ve now been shaken with a third massive blow. Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also decided to pull out of the tournament due to personal reasons. While Raina had returned home after travelling with the team to UAE, Harbhajan had remained in India.

Harbhajan conveyed his decision to the franchise on Friday, giving the Chennai franchise a bolt from the blue. The MS Dhoni-led side, who are yet to flag off their training sessions amid the ruckus, will be looking to rope in a quality player to fill the void. CSK’s training was delayed due to the confirmed COVID-19 results but the Yellow Army will certainly aim to get back on track and get a suitable replacement for Harbhajan.

Here are five players who can replace Harbhajan in CSK’s IPL 2020 campaign:

1. Jalaj Saxena

Harbhajan himself had backed Jalaj Saxena for a national call-up in March. Harbhajan had batted for Saxena’s inclusion in the squad, questioning the selectors’ decision of ignoring such genuine spinners.

Jalaj Saxena, a domestic cricket maestro, has 347 first-class wickets along with 6,334 runs. He is currently a part of the Kerala squad in the domestic circuit and has been consistently delivering all-round performances. In 2019, he even achieved the feat of scoring 6,000 runs and taking 300 wickets in first-class cricket. Considering his experience, Saxena can be an excellent replacement for Harbhajan.

Saxena is yet to still get a big break in the IPL or the Indian side. Saxena was signed up by Mumbai Indians in 2013. After remaining with MI until IPL 2014, he was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2015 auction. In 2018, he was bought by Delhi Capitals but was released before the most recent IPL 2020 auction. Hungry to prove his worth, Saxena can certainly make a difference in the CSK squad.