On his return to India citing "personal reasons", Suresh Raina said not all doors are yet shut by him on the possible return to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp in UAE for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting September 19.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, Raina, 33, said he hasn't stopped training and could very well be back if he feels like doing so.
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"I've been training even while quarantining here," he said. "You never know you might see me in the camp there again."
Raina, meanwhile, dismissed reports doing the rounds of his rift with CSK owner N Srinivasan, saying the ex BCCI president is like a "father figure" to him. Srinivasan was quoted making critical comments on Raina after the news of his home return.
"He is like a father figure to me and he's always stood by me and is close to my heart," said the veteran left-hander. "He treats me like his younger son and am sure a lot of what he said was taken out of context. Ek baap apne bacche ko daant sakta hai(A father can scold his son). He didn't know the real reasons for me leaving when he gave those comments."
"Now he's been informed about them and he even sent me a message thereafter. We've chatted about it and both CSK and I just want to get over with it. I'm continuing to train," Raina added.
While there is no official reason yet clarified why Raina decided to comeback, he hinted there was an issue to be addressed within the family.
He added that people be assured there are no problems within the CSK set-up. There were speculations of the same, as the news about Raina broke straight after it was confirmed that 2 players and 11 support staff personnel of the team have tested COVID-19 positive.
"It was a personal decision and I had to come back for my family. There was something that needed to be addressed immediately on the home front. CSK is my family too and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is very important to me and this was a tough decision. There is no issue between CSK and me," said Raina.
"Nobody will just turn their back on Rs 12.5 crore and walk away without a solid reason. I might have retired from international cricket but I'm still young and I am looking forward to playing for them in the IPL for the next 4-5 years," he added.
Raina said the IPL authorities have done a "commendable job" of ensuring players' safety.
"The team management and BCCI are doing a very commendable job keeping everyone safe," he said. "This has never been done before and its new for everyone. It's a highly secure environment and no one without access can move anywhere. We were all inside our rooms with no human interaction and there was a test every 2 days."
Raina's returning home was attached to probable discomfort and concerns amid the bio-security regulations. The player also cleared the air on the same.
"I have a young family back home and I was concerned about the fact that if something happened to me, unka kya hoga?(what'll happen to them)," he said.
"My family is most important to me and I am really concerned for them during these times. I haven't seen my kids for more than 20 days, even after coming back, since I am in quarantine."
The experienced cricketer, who announced his international retirement last month, also spoke about the unfortunate incident involving his uncle.
"The Pathankot incident was horrible and has really been very disturbing for everyone in our family," he said. "And it was my responsibility to come back and take care of them. But since I've returned, I've been in quarantine here. So, I still have to go meet my parents and my bua who are all in great distress."
Raina wished all the CSK members who tested positive a quick recovery.
"It was heart-breaking (news) of course. This is a very deadly disease and even after so many precautions if staff gets infected it just says how bad it can be and it can happen to anyone. I hope everyone gets well soon," he concluded.
