CSK will not miss me and Suresh Raina: Harbhajan Singh

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. But their time leading up to the cash-rich league was the toughest with two of their veteran cricketers, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, pulling out of the tournament citing personal reasons.

The franchise hasn’t named the replacements for them as of now too and even Ruturaj Gaikwad is unavailable for the first game as he is yet to recover fully from COVID-19. However, Harbhajan feels all these hurdles won’t stop the MS Dhoni-led side from performing well in this IPL. According to him, the three-time champions have got enough experience to tackle the challenges.

“CSK is one of those sides which has a lot of experience. Yes, they don’t have Harbhajan Singh, they don’t have Suresh Raina, that’s not gonna bother them too much. They have got a wealth of experience of Shane Watson, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja. Yes, I am gonna miss playing with CSK this year. I don’t know how much they will miss me. They will still go forward without me or Suresh or no matter whoever,” he said while speaking to India Today.

It is important for me to be with family this year, says Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh’s participation was almost certain as he was scheduled to reach the UAE in the first week of September. But he released a statement that he wants some privacy with his family and wants to stay with them amid the pandemic. Speaking about the same, the off-spinner clarified that his wife Geeta Basra and daughter needed him to be with them rather than being on the field.

He also wished his team CSK ahead of the season opener and is also confident that the team will do well like every year. “I thought it’s important for me to be with the family and spend some time with them rather than being there in the park. I am gonna miss playing but at the same time wishing my team CSK all the very best for the tournament and I am sure they will do what they are known for,” Harbhajan Singh further added.