Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered an early setback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, with Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
Ellis aggravated a previous hamstring issue while representing Tasmania in the domestic One-Day Cup final on March 11. The 31-year-old delivered five overs in the rain-affected clash against New South Wales in Hobart, returning figures of 2 for 26, but is believed to have worsened the injury during the match. Tasmania eventually went down by four wickets in the final.
The right-arm pacer had been retained by CSK for INR 2 crore (approximately US$ 215,000) ahead of the recent IPL auction, despite featuring in only one game for the franchise in the 2025 season. Across his IPL career, Ellis has played 17 matches, with the majority of his appearances — 16 — coming for Punjab Kings between 2021 and 2024.
With Ellis unavailable, CSK’s overseas fast-bowling options now include Matt Henry, Jamie Overton and Zak Foulkes. The Indian pace contingent features Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary, while allrounders Shivam Dube and Aman Khan also provide additional seam-bowling depth.
Meanwhile, the franchise confirmed via its social media channels that newly acquired star Sanju Samson joined the squad earlier this week.
More Read
CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30. They are then scheduled to face Punjab Kings on April 3, Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru on April 5, and Delhi Capitals on April 11.
The five-time champions will be eager for a stronger showing this season after finishing at the bottom of the standings in IPL 2025, managing just four wins from 14 matches.
