IPL 2018: Calf injury rules Suresh Raina out of next two matches

Despite winning the first two matches of the season, the problems are continuing to compound for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this year. While the news of their home matches being shifted out of Chennai was not enough, ace player Suresh Raina has been ruled out of the next two matches. He sustained calf injury while batting against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and played in pain while scoring only 14 runs during his stay in the middle. However, the fact that he is not ruled out is a huge prospect for the franchise.

CSK has been dealing with a few blows of late, the latest being their home matches shifted to Pune as they will miss playing at their fortress. Cauvery Row and the severe protests during the match last night has forced the organisers to take this decision as the die-hard CSK fans would be hard done.

Who will replace Raina?

According to the reports in Sportstar, Suresh Raina will require around 10 days to recover from his injury and won’t be able to play the matches against Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The talismanic left-hander has been the vital cog of the side ever since the inception of the IPL. His fielding made the difference against KKR as he ran out Robin Uthappa with a superb fielding and directly hit the stumps. Even with the bat, he wins the matches single-handedly but CSK will have to play without him now, albeit for a couple of matches.

MS Dhoni has a tough task on his hands now to find a perfect replacement for Raina. Given that Murali Vijay is an opener, Dhruv Shorey looks the most likely player to replace him for the next couple of matches. He was the most impressive player for Delhi in the domestic season this year and he needs to perform in the limited opportunities he will get.

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