Why will Spencer Johnson miss 3 weeks of IPL 2026 for CSK despite being reportedly signed as replacement?
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
Spencer Johnson is expected to be signed by CSK as a replacement for Nathan Ellis.
According to various media reports and rumours, Australian pacer Spencer Johnson is all set to play in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The left-arm pacer made his debut in the 2024 edition for Gujarat Titans (GT), where he earned a hefty contract of INR 10 crore in the auction. He also gave a decent performance by picking four wickets in five games.
In IPL 2025, he was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and took one wicket in four games. Due to his poor show, he was released by KKR ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. He had a base price of INR 1.50 crore but went unsold in the auction. This made him sign for Pakistan Super League (PSL), but he opted out of that as well.
Now, Johnson is expected to join CSK squad in IPL 2026, and this comes after Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the tournament due to a severe hamstring injury, which he sustained in Australia’s One-Day Cup earlier this year. He will need about three months of rehabilitation.
With CSK in need of a replacement, Johnson’s name has been doing the rounds on social media. However, even if Johnson joins CSK squad for IPL 2026, he won’t be able to play for the first few weeks.
Spencer Johnson to miss 2-3 weeks of IPL 2026 due to rehabilitation
According to multiple reports, if Johnson joins CSK, he is not expected to join team immediately as he is still undergoing rehabilitation. He will need 2-3 weeks to regain his fitness along with Cricket Australia’s permission to play in IPL 2026. Notably, he has been suffering with issues with his back for the last two years.
The left-arm pacer sustained a back stress fracture in July 2024. He underwent rehabilitation till December 2024, however, he was ruled out of Big Bash League 2024-25 as he was not match-ready. He later represented Australia in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in February, which was his last appearance in international cricket.
Meanwhile, Johnson has played nine IPL games across two seasons, clinching five wickets at an average of 56.80 and an economy of 10.39. He has also represented Australia in five ODIs and eight T20Is so far, clinching four and 14 wickets respectively.
Last month, he was signed by Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2026 as a direct signing. However, he opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
Spencer Johnson is expected to play for which team in IPL 2026?
He is expected to join CSK as a replacement for Nathan Ellis.
Why was Nathan Ellis ruled out of CSK’s squad in IPL 2026?
Nathan Ellis has been ruled out due to a severe hamstring injury.
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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.