IPL 2021: Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo join CSK squad in UAE

Faf du Plessis was in the Orange Cap race when the tournament was suspended a few months ago. (PC: CSK Twitter)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overseas trio Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo have landed in the UAE to join the rest of the squad. CSK were one of the first franchises to set up their training camp in the Middle East last month. The trio won't be serving the mandate quarantine period having completed a bubble-to-bubble transfer from the Caribbean.

Faf du Plessis comes on the back of a groin injury that caused him to miss a couple of matches in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League. He is said to have informed team management that he would be available for the match against the defending champions Mumbai Indians. He sat out the semi-finals and finals of the Caribbean competition. He and Imran Tahir were both snubbed by South Africa for their squad for the T20 World Cup.

Dwayne Bravo, on the other hand, comes following a title triumph as captain of the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, who secured the trophy for the very first time.

The Chennai Super Kings took to Twitter to announce the arrival of the three players. They captioned the images with the caption:

"3x the Excitement. Fafulous Champion Express. #WhistlePodu #Yellove"

3x the Excitement 💛💛💛

Fafulous Champion Express 🦁🦁🦁

#WhistlePodu #Yellove https://t.co/YE3Q921zRy

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will kickstart the second leg of the IPL in Dubai on September 19.

CSK hope to erase the ghosts of UAE

The three-time champions had their worst season while playing in the UAE during the last edition of the IPL. The franchise ended up in seventh place, narrowly above the Rajasthan Royals, to mark their first instance of not qualifying for the playoffs.

Get Set Roar 🦁

Into the Grind...📹 bit.ly/3EoFP7m
#WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛 https://t.co/085s3tQ5al

Their failure in the UAE was a key reason for their early arrival to prepare. In the 2020 edition, the CSK camp was hit with a bout of coronavirus that hampered their preparation and subsequently led to poor performances.

In the 2021 edition, the franchise is at its best, boosted by Suresh Raina's return and the performance of key players. They are currently second in the points table below Delhi Capitals.