Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina is returning to India and will be unavailable for IPL 2020, the franchise tweeted on Saturday.

The CSK players had left for UAE on August 21 for the tournament to be held from September 19 to November 10.

Earlier, at least 10 members of the Chennai-based side tested positive for coronavirus. Among the infected is a current India limited-overs cricketer, sources said.

CSK will therefore have to extend their quarantine period in Dubai till September 1, ahead of the start of the tournament.

According to the PTI report, a league source revealed that all COVID-19 positive results came during day 1, 3 and 6 of testing after the contingent’s landing in Dubai.

While it is expected that Raina will be issuing a statement later in the day, sources close to the franchise said that one of the biggest draws in IPL desperately needs some downtime to be with his young family at the moment.

Also Read:IPL 2020 to kick off on September 19: Chennai Super Kings full squad

“Suresh’s absence will be a big blow for the CSK and also, he is one of the biggest draws in IPL. But in these times, if any player doesn’t feel 100 per cent and has some other pressing priorities, any team respects that and CSK is no different,” a senior IPL official privy to development in CSK camp told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

While it couldn’t be officially confirmed but speculation was rife that a family tragedy coupled by spike in COVID-19 cases in the team might have disturbed the former India left-hander.

While it is understood that the tournament is not under threat as of now but one franchise becoming a “COVID-19 hotspot” is slowly becoming an issue for other teams as well as the BCCI.

“If there are 13 cases from only one franchise then it is an issue for sure for everyone. The biggest aspect will be whether foreign cricketers will now start being panicky as they are more touchy about these issues,” an official said.

“We need to keep a tab on players’ mental health,” he added.

Raina was expected to feature in the 13th edition of the IPL after he announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, shortly after CSK teammate and former Indian captain MS Dhoni hung up his boots.

One of the greatest players in IPL history, Raina has featured in the marquee tournament’s every season, amassing 5,368 runs, second only to Royal Challengers Bangalore run machine Virat Kohli.