Suresh Raina, in the headlines after his abrupt return home from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, stated that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) boss N. Srinivasan was like a father figure to him while CSK was family. Any stories about a fallout about the hotel room in the UAE were “fabricated” and “anyone who knows me, knows that these are all stories planted by people who don’t want me or CSK to succeed,” Suresh Raina told NDTV. He also stated that the team was doing a “commendable” job in handling the COVID-19 situation.

Following is the full interview:

Q: There are various reasons for your exit – could you please clear the air?

Suresh Raina: It was a personal decision and I had to come back for my family. There was something that needed to be addressed immediately at the home front and CSK is my family too and Mahi bhai is most important to me and this was a tough decision but with the family back home, I had to come back for them.

Q: What do you make of the way Srinivasan has reacted to your exit?

Suresh Raina: He is like a father figure for me and he’s always stood by me and is close to my heart, he treats me like his younger son and am sure a lot is taken out of context. He didn’t know the reason earlier and its all settled.

Q: Was there a fallout with the team over the hotel room?

Suresh Raina: These are all fabricated stories and anyone who knows me, knows that these are all stories planted by people who don’t want me or CSK to succeed.

Q: Were you worried about the COVID situation in the team?

Suresh Raina: The team management and BCCI are doing a very commendable job keeping everyone safe. This has never been done before and its new for everyone so every day is a new. It’s a highly secure environment and no one without access can move anywhere. We were all inside our rooms with no human interaction and there was a test every two days. This is a very deadly disease and even after so many precautions if staff gets infected it just says how bad it can be and it can happen to anyone.

Q: Given the way the CSK owners have reacted, will you go back to CSK again?

Suresh Raina: CSK is family for me, its like home. A lot of what was said was taken out of context and Sreeni sir is like a father figure to me. He treats me like his own and when he got to know why I had to leave he understood the reason.

Q. Will you play IPL this season?

Suresh Raina: You never know, you might see me in the camp again. First, I have to take care of my responsibilities here and then am ready.

Q: Is the family satisfied after (Punjab Chief Minister) Capt Amarinder’s assurances?

Suresh Raina: He’s assured us that he’s looking into the case and there will be a positive outcome soon. We are really thankful for his support in this tragic situation.

Promoted

Q: Did you get emotional when MSD retired and decided to call time on your India career as well?

Suresh Raina: Mahi bhai is a like a brother to me. We have played together for 14-15 years now and the time that we spent cannot be measured. It was a very emotional time when we decided to retire from international cricket.