The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) is slated to begin from September 19 and in this article we take a look at the possible Suresh Raina replacements.
In an unfortunate turn of events, CSK’s Suresh Raina had to pull out of the 13th edition of the IPL. Chennai Super Kings CEO KS Viswanathan informed the fans about the same via a statement on social media.
Suresh Raina will miss his first IPL season since the tournament’s inception. Mr.IPL has made it to the playoffs ten times in 11 seasons, which highlights his success in the IPL.
CSK might not be able to fill in the massive gap left by Raina, but here are the three players they could sign as the southpaw’s replacement for IPL 2020.
5. Yusuf Pathan
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder, found no bidders in the IPL Auction 2020. Pathan is a power-hitter and possesses the ability to take the game away in a matter of few overs.
In 174 IPL games, the Baroda-based player has scored 3,204 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 142.97 along with 13 half-centuries and a memorable hundred against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Yusuf can even bowl off-breaks in the middle innings. The 37-year-old has 42 wickets to his name in the lucrative league.
Since Yusuf has plenty of experience in the shortest format and consists of the capability to take any bowler to the cleaners, CSK might opt for the veteran cricketer.
4. Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary has quite a significant amount of experience in the IPL, having played since 2008. CSK can contemplate picking Tiwary since he has played alongside MS Dhoni in the Rising Pune Supergiant. Earlier, Tiwary also played for the Delhi Daredevils, now Capitals, and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
He is also in decent form as in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, he maiden first-class triple century. In 98 IPL matches, the 34-year-old has 1,695 runs at an average of 28.73 with a decent strike-rate of 116.98.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
The 22-year old batsman from Pune is a technically as well as temperamentally strong top order player, but is yet to earn his maiden cap in IPL. Having performed well in the domestic circuit over the past 2 years or so, Ruturaj has been in great form coming into the tournament, with successful stints for India A under his belt
Ambati Rayudu
The big-hitting Ambati Rayudu is one of the strongest candidate who fits the bill to fill in the void left by Suresh Raina’s absenceRayudu is almost tailor-made for the number 3 slot in limited overs cricket. Raina’s absence might just prove to be blessing in disguise for Rayudu, as he might be getting his favorite slot to bat in.
Rayudu is a good player of spin and also has the ability to shift gears. In case of a early loss of wicket, Rayudu is someone who can steady the ship as well as counter-attack if needed.
Hanuma Vihari
The talented Hyderabad cricketer Hanuma Vihari made his IPL debut back in 2013 when he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, he hasn’t been able to impress in the shortest format. In 24 games, the 26-year-old has only scored 284 runs at an average of 14.2.
In the 2019 season, Vihari was a part of the Delhi Capitals (DC), but he got chances in only two matches. DC used him as a finisher in the last edition, but Vihari is a player who performs better in the top order. Vihari can see off the new ball at the top and repair the innings in the middle order in Test cricket, but has not found his footing yet in T20 cricket
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