IPL 2021: 'He wasn't there last year' - DC coach Ricky Ponting wary of CSK's 'almost new recruit' Suresh Raina
IPL 2021: Ricky Ponting said CSK’s poor show in last year’s IPL – the MS Dhoni-led side finished N0.7 in the points table with just six wins, missing a play-off berth for the first time – was mainly due to the absence of Suresh Raina for the entire duration of the tournament.
Former Australia captain and current Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting heaped praise on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Suresh Raina ahead of the DC vs CSK IPL 2021 match No.2 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Ponting said CSK’s poor show in last year’s IPL – the MS Dhoni-led side finished N0.7 in the points table with just six wins, missing a play-off berth for the first time – was mainly due to the absence of Raina for the entire duration of the tournament.
The Australian added that Suresh Raina, who missed the last season, will make a big difference to the CSK outfit this year.
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"The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have got a great leader and a great squad of players. They have always managed to play consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season worked out, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Suresh Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year, which is almost like a new recruit for them."
Raina had flown back home due to personal reasons despite landing in the UAE in lead-up to last year’s IPL.
The left-hander, who announced his retirement along with captain Dhoni on August 15 2020, is CSK’s highest run-scorer and also one of the top run-getters in the IPL.
Ponting agreed that CSK won’t be an easy side to beat but also added that they won’t give any special treatment to the three-time IPL winners.
"The CSK have got a good squad of players and they've got lots of flexibility and a lot of options. But we've got a great squad as well and we want to build on last season. I have said to the boys that it's not about last season, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from the way we have played in the last couple of seasons.
“Although we've got a slightly different squad, we expect to play better as a group and achieve some better results. So, for us, Chennai Super Kings is just game one. We need to approach it with the right attitude and play well. Hopefully, win that game and move onto the second game. But we know that we'll have to play well to win," said Ponting.
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