Dubai, Sep 16 (UNI) Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones feels the absence of Suresh Raina will be a major concern for three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2020.
CSK's star batsman Raina and senior spinner Harbhajan Singh have pulled out of IPL due to personal reasons.
Raina has been the most prolific run-getter for CSK over the years in the IPL and he is the second highest run-getter in the history of the tournament.
'Raina’s absence is a major concern this time and he is in the top 5 run getters in IPL. He is a left hander and plays spin very well and the weakness for CSK could be that majority of their players are right handed,' Jones said on the Star Sports show Game Plan.
The Australian said that the CSK needs a like for like replacement for left-handed Raina. He mentioned that the duo of captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming will have to figure out the the right combination for the team.
'They need some left handers or they could get stuck and particularly, if they are playing to leg-spinners and the ball is going away. So, whether to go with Sam Curran or Jadeja and Bravo or Tahir.
Watson and Dhoni haven’t batted for long. Raina and Harbhajan have gone home as well, so it is up to Fleming and Dhoni, how they gel the team together,' he said.
CSK will open their campaign with a clash against fierce rivals and defending champions Mumbai Indians on September 19, the opening day of the league.
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