Kachche Gang Killed My Uncle's Family: Suresh Raina Breaks Silence On CSK Dubai Hotel Room Balcony Saga

Suresh Raina broke his silence on his decision to leave the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp in Dubai abruptly during the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and return home from Dubai before the first match of the tournament was played.

For those unversed, the 2020 IPL was postponed by six months and later shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was played under strict regulations, with teams kept in bio-bubbles and forced to follow a strict quarantine.

Raina left the CSK camp days after the team's arrival in UAE which sparked speculation over tensions in the MS Dhoni-led camp. There were media reports on the 2011 World Cup- winner being unhappy with his hotel room, and owner N Srinivasan's comments added fuel to the fire.

“The season has not begun yet and Raina will certainly realise what he is missing and certainly all the money (a salary of 11 crores per season) he is going to lose. My thinking is that if you are reluctant or not happy, go back. I don’t force anyone to do anything ... sometimes success gets into your head,” Sriniavasan told Outlook in 2020.

“Cricketers are like prima donnas ... like the temperamental actors of the olden days. Chennai Super Kings have always been like a family and all seniors players have learned to co-exist,” Srinavasan added.

Suesh Raina Clears The Air

Suresh Raina cleared the air over the incident and stated that it was a personal emergency that forced him to leave the 202 IPL and revealed the bio-bubble rules meant it was not possible for him to come back later in the tournament.

"There was bereavement in the family. In my uncle's family, there were deaths. A group of gangsters killed the entire family. It happened in Pathankot. So I went there. But there was a bio-bubble in the IPL, where you couldn't return. My father was very upset. When the Kachche gang did what they did, my entire family was in stress. I thought cricket came next, I could play anytime, first, my family was important," Raina said in an interaction with Lallantop.

Raina revealed that he had informed MS Dhoni about the incident and recalled him coming back to the team for CSK's IPL 2021 title-winning captain. The four-time IPL-winner revealed his family was in stress and it was important for him to spent time with them.

"Yes, I told this to MS Dhoni and the team management. Family comes first. Then I returned, we played the 2021 season. We won the trophy. But the previous year, the family was in chaos. They were all in depression already due to Covid-19 and then this happened. I thought I should go home and be with my family," said Raina.

"Definitely (a statement that bio-bubbles weren't safe). The virus was everywhere. Everybody was getting tested for Covid-19. Everybody was getting tested every day. I couldn't go back because of the bio-security bubble. You have to be in isolation for 15 days before coming back. After that, you have to be tested. So I had to be in the hotel for 30 days. So, I thought it was not practical," Raina added.

Raina has been part of the CSK camp since the inaugural season in 2020 and has been an integral part of their incredible success until the 2021 season. In Raina's tenure, CSK played the IPL final nine times, won the trophy on four occasions, and also clinched the Champions League T20 title twice.

Raina played 200 matches for CSK and is still their highest run-getter with 5529 runs in 200 matches at an average of 39.40.