Dawid Malan not joining Chennai Super Kings says CEO

Malan

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has rubbished reports that England T20 star Dawid Malan will replace Suresh Raina in the franchise’s IPL 2020 squad.

The Super Kings had retained hopes of coaxing Raina back into the squad and have yet to name a replacement for the veteran batsman who recently announced his retirement from international cricket.

Dawid Malan not joining Chennai Super Kings

CSK’s silence seemed only to fuel the rumour mill, and with Malan impressing in England’s T20I side it was almost inevitable that his name would be mentioned.

As things stand, Malan cannot join the Super Kings squad as they already have eight overseas professionals contracted for the 2020 campaign.

“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,” Viswanathan told ANI when asked to comment on the rumours.

The CSK boss also squashed the suggestion that there may have been an injury issue with one of their overseas professionals. West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo did not bowl in the Caribbean Premier League final.

South Africans Lungi Ngidi and Faf Du Plessis have already arrived in the UAE but have yet to start training with the team. Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has taken part in sessions having been one of the first players to arrive in the UAE. CSK will welcome Bravo, Proteas veteran Imran Tahir, and Black Caps tweaker Mitchell Santner in the coming week as they jet in from Trinidad.

Josh Hazlewood and Sam Curran will join the Super Kings bio-bubble after the ODI series between England and Australia.

Training delayed by coronavirus

CSK were the last IPL franchise to begin training in the UAE after 13 members of their group including two players tested positive for coronavirus.

One of those players, Deepak Chahar, has been given clearance to start training after twice testing negative for the virus.

“Deepak has all the necessary clearance from the CSK and BCCI side and will start training from today,” Viswanathan confirmed on Friday 11 September.

Last year’s runners-up CSK will take on the defending champion Mumbai Indians in the first match of the delayed 2020 IPL on 19 September.

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