Suresh Raina returned to India on Saturday citing personal reasons and will miss the entire season of the IPL tournament. But while Raina was in Dubai, murmurs of rifts between him and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni have surfaced.

CSK owner N Srinivasan on Sunday told Outlook that while Raina’s exit left the IPL team in a bit shock, Dhoni ‘was in complete control of the situation’. Reportedly, Raina was not happy with the hotel room he was provided in Dubai, as he felt claustrophobic with strict protocols of bio-bubble implemented due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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The veteran all-rounder batsman wanted a hotel room with ‘proper balconies’ as that of MS Dhoni. Raina’s issue had become a flashpoint during the quarantine period of CSK players in the UAE and his fears only grew after two of his teammates tested positive for coronavirus, Outlook reported.

“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 learnt to co-exist,” former BCCI president Srinivasan told Outlook.

The former BCCI president said, “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.”