Indian cricketer Suresh Raina is all set to knock down all his fans with his stupendous performance during IPL 2020, to be held in UAE. The Chennai Super Kings veteran is super pumped to be on the field after almost 5 months of lockdown.

In an interview, on the eve of being appointed brand ambassador for fantasy gaming platform WTF Sports, Raina talked about the upcoming IPL and his friend and captain MS Dhoni’s return.

“In this pandemic a lot of things have happened. 2020 has been one of the worst years, but at the same time I would say that as Indians we have really fought back; the way we have encouraged our frontline doctors and staff. We have really pushed the bar and when you have tough days, we need to come out of our comfort zone and work really hard. What’s done is done and we are in a good spirits. Let’s play cricket now. This sport has the potential to bring back smiles on people’s face with families, friends and fans coming together,” he says.

The cricketer knows its going to be a different game altogether this year, as he says, “This IPL will be very challenging for players as we need to maintain proper social distancing. Only once we reach there will we know of proper protocols. At this stage, let’s just hope for the best.”

Excited about MS Dhoni’s return to cricket, Raina says, “I was there with him and he was practising really hard (before the pandemic). Hopefully, you will see his helicopter shot soon. He’s been a great brand ambassador for IPL and such a great cricketer. You will see him in his best fighting spirit. He’s all pumped up and looking forward to going to UAE and entertain all his fans.”

Raina has played 193 IPL games and amassed 5386 runs. The 33-year-old CSK veteran believes pitches in the UAE are similar to Chennai and it augurs well for the team.

Coca-Cola India and Byju’s are among companies that may bid for the title sponsorship of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) after Chinese phone maker Vivo pulled out from the cricket tournament.