CSK to have only 3 overseas players available in squad during first week of IPL 2020?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to leave for the UAE later this month. However, the Chennai-based outfit will be without most of their overseas stars. CSK will depart from India on August 21 on a chartered flight for the IPL 2020. The 13th edition of the T20 tournament is set to commence on September 19 with the final set to be played on November 10.

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CSK will be without five overseas players during first week of IPL 2020

It has also been reported that CSK will be holding a training camp in Chennai prior to their departure to the UAE for the IPL 2020. According to a report in the Times Of India, the Tamil Nadu state government has given its clearance to the three-time IPL winners and it has also been said that their training camp can get underway from August 15. There are also reports that senior players including skipper MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla will fly into the city via chartered flights on August 14, to begin with the training session a day later. 

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However, most of CSK's overseas players are set to join the team much later. Faf du Plessis will join the CSK squad only on September 1 as he is expecting his second baby. The former South Africa captain will travel together with countrymate Lungi Ngidi after the South African government has reportedly given its clearance for its players to travel to the UAE despite international restrictions otherwise. 

CSK's batting mainstay Shane Watson along with head coach Stephen Fleming and batting coach Mike Hussey are expected to join the CSK camp by August 22.

On the other hand, prominent names like Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner and Imran Tahir will be busy with Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which ends on September 10. That means these cricketers will have to undergo the customary isolation period before joining the squad, which is why they are likely to miss the first week of the tournament. 

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CSK's new picks Sam Curran and Josh Hazlewood are also unlikely to join the team soon as they will be busy with their national team’s commitments and will be available from mid-September after the England-Australia ODI series. This means only three out of CSK's eight overseas players will be available for the first week of the IPL 2020, forcing MS Dhoni to work around the domestic players available in the squad.

When will the IPL 2020 start?

Ever since the IPL 2020 was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans started wondering 'When will IPL 2020 start? To answer the 'When will IPL 2020 start' query, the IPL 2020 will start on September 19 and go on till November 10, which was announced in by the BCCI after the Government Council meeting on Sunday. The IPL dates haven't been announced yet. However, the IPL dates are soon expected to be announced after BCCI's meeting with the franchises.

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IMAGE COURTESY: BCCI