Big blow for CSK just before IPL 2026; THIS star player ruled out of the tournament
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead CSK in IPL 2026.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will aim for a big comeback in the Indian Premier League 2026 following a dismal performance last season.
The five-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2025 for the second consecutive time. They finished in the last spot in the points table with just four wins from 14 games.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who could only play five games last season and was ruled out due to an elbow injury, will be back to take the reins of CSK in IPL 2026. Moreover, the franchise has also inducted wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson in their squad through a trade deal with Rajasthan Royals (RR).
MS Dhoni is set to play another season for CSK and will guide Gaikwad in crucial moments. The franchise bought a few big names like Rahul Chahar, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, and Matthew Short into their squad in the mini-auction conducted in December last year.
However, ahead of the upcoming season, the Super Kings suffered a major blow as their star pacer has been ruled out of the tournament.
Nathan Ellis ruled out of IPL 2026
Just a few days ahead of IPL 2026, one of the Super Kings’ star pace bowlers, Nathan Ellis, has been ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old Australian bowler won’t be able to recover in time and is set to miss the tournament.
“It is a big blow for us. Ellis is a crucial bowler, especially in the death overs. We are looking at replacements,” CSK CEO K.S. Viswanthan was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Earlier in January, Ellis was ruled out of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26 ahead of the knockouts round due to hamstring issues. He also missed the T20I series against Pakistan.
Despite the injury scare, he featured in four games for Australia in T20 World Cup 2026 in February. Earlier this month, he played for Tasmanian Tigers in the Australian Domestic One-Day Cup tournament.
In IPL 2025, the right-arm pacer featured in only one game for CSK, picking one wicket for 38 runs. After Matheesha Pathirana’s return, Ellis was dropped from the playing XI and warmed the bench for the entire season. Despite his limited game time, CSK retained him in their squad for IPL 2026 for INR 2 crore.
Who has been ruled out of the CSK squad ahead of IPL 2026?
Australian pacer Nathan Ellis has been ruled out ahead of the upcoming season.
Who will captain CSK in IPL 2026?
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the side in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.