IPL 2020: CSK CEO quashes reports of looking for Dawid Malan as Suresh Raina's replacement

With the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) only around 8 days away, the teams are training hard in the nets. Also, the franchises are looking for replacements for their injured/pulled out players. On Friday, reports surfaced that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are looking to sign England’s Dawid Malan as Suresh Raina’s replacement for the upcoming season.

This came as a surprise for the fans as the CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan had earlier stated that they will not seeking any replacement for Raina. The man himself has now come out and quashed all the reports stating that they cannot sign any overseas player as their quota for the same is full.

The MS Dhoni-led CSK already have Shane Watson, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran in their ranks. According to the rules, a team can have 8 foreign players and 17 Indians. Moreover, the BCCI has also stated that a team can have only 24 players travelling in the IPL this year. So the CSK are in no position to sign any overseas cricketer at the moment.

“This is news to me as well because our quota of foreign players is already full. So I don’t know how we can have another foreigner in the squad,” Kasi was quoted as saying by Times Now.

Deepak Chahar set to train with the team from Friday

Meanwhile, the Kasi Viswanathan also confirmed that Deepak Chahar, having recovered from COVID-19, is set to train with the team from Friday. He has tested negative twice for COVID-19 after serving a 14-day quarantine period. Another player, Ruturaj Gaikwad who was tested positive is still in quarantine and will be tested on the last two days.

He will only be allowed to join the team if he tests negative twice for the virus and then will have to go through various tests according to the BCCI protocols. CSK will be in action on the opening day of the IPL itself on September 19 facing the defending and four-time champions Mumbai Indians.