IPL 2021: MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings leave for Dubai

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have departed for the UAE on Friday, August 13. The team will arrive in the Middle East for the remainder of IPL 2021, which is scheduled to start on September 19. They are the first team to leave for the UAE to prepare for the marquee event.

Chennai Super Kings shared a couple of pictures from the airport on their official Instagram account. They captioned the post:

"✈️ Mode ON."

All available Indian cricketers who are part of the Chennai Super Kings squad, including skipper MS Dhoni, have traveled with the squad. Along with Dhoni, the likes of Suresh Raina, Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Karn Sharma were seen in pictures shared on social media platforms.

The Super Kings have not arranged a camp in Chennai and will only start training in Dubai after completing their mandatory isolation and testing.

Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni in 2nd spot on IPL 2021 table

The three-time IPL champions looked menacing and were in the second spot before IPL 2021 was suspended on May 4 due to the COVID-19 crisis in India. CSK have accumulated 10 points from seven matches with five wins.

Moeen Ali's injection and the return of veteran batsman Suresh Raina did wonders for the side, who had a horrid season in IPL 2020. Chennai Super Kings finished seventh in the group stages and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in IPL history.

The England all-rounder added some firepower to the top-order, scoring 206 runs from six matches and also picking up five crucial wickets. Raina also played a couple of good innings, including a half-century.

Chennai Super Kings will hope to continue their excellent run when they begin their campaign in the second half of IPL 2021 against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Dubai on September 19.