IPL 2018 | Suresh Raina is one of the best performing players in the IPL, says Stephen Fleming
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming regards currently injured Indian all-rounder Suresh Raina as one of the best performing players of the IPL ever since its inception in 2008. Fleming added that the shift from Chepauk to Pune came as a surprise, but they will do their best to adapt to the new stadium.
The return of one of IPL’s most successful teams, Chennai Super Kings, has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride for skipper MS Dhoni and boys. Their opening day win against Mumbai Indians was nothing short of a miracle all thanks to the explosive heroics of Dwayne Bravo who hit a magnificent 68 off 30 deliveries. They battled their way to a win against Kolkata Knight Riders on the return to Chepauk after two seasons, where English signing Sam Billings proved to be the hero.
But a few issues have risen for the Chennai-based franchise over the course of the season. A hamstring injury to Kedar Jadhav ruled the Indian all-rounder out of this year’s IPL and a recent calf issue ruled out Suresh Raina for CSK’s next two matches of the season.
Coach Stephen Fleming revealed that the loss of Raina will be a huge one as the former believed that the left-handed all-rounder has been one of the standout performers in the IPL over the years.
"We can't replace him (Raina), he's one of the best performing players in the IPL and the highest run-scorer in the history (of the league). So we can't replace him, we just got to find a way to
"(This is) an opportunity for someone else but you'd like to get someone like Suresh Raina back into your side as quick as possible. The blessing is we've got another four days in between and there might be a chance that he could be fit for the next game but we won't rush him," Fleming told Cricbuzz.
To top all of this, Dhoni’s men were forced to shift to the MCA international stadium in Pune after the state of Tamil Nadu failed to guarantee the security of the players and fans after political issues flared up due to the Cauvery water dispute. Fleming was the coach of Rising Pune Supergiant, a team that also had the likes of MS Dhoni, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar in the ranks. Hence the former Kiwi skipper would have a fair amount knowledge of how the MCA venue works for them.
"There is an experience of being in Pune the last two years, that is a positive. Whether the Pune pitch is the same as what it was 12 months earlier, we'll have to wait and see when we get there. We know the characteristics of the ground, which is again a positive. Does it replace Chepauk? No, it doesn't. But we'll get up to speed with guys, get them used to the subtleties of the ground as quick as we can. We have guys who've bowled there - Shardul , Chahar and Tahir, which is important. We'll always try and find some positives and those are a couple," Fleming said.
