Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday became the second high-profile name to pull out of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to "personal reasons", saying he has informed the Chennai Super Kings team management about his decision.

The 40-year-old, who has been a part of CSK during the past two years is currently in Jalandhar, Punjab with his family and requested privacy. The IPL starts on September 19 in the UAE after being moved out of India due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I have informed the CSK management about my decision to pull out of this year's IPL. I have decided to take a break due to personal reasons in these difficult times. I expect that everyone would respect my need for privacy," Harbhajan told news agency PTI on Friday.

Harbhajan is one of the most successful bowlers in the history of IPL with 150 wickets.

Earlier, all-rounder Suresh Raina, who too turns up for CSK, had opted out also citing personal reasons.