IPL 2026: CSK Suffers Major Blow As Injury Rules THIS Lethal Fast Bowler Out Of Entire Season

New Delhi: The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off on March 28. Ahead of the tournament, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) appear to have suffered a major setback. The team's fast bowler, Nathan Ellis, could miss the entire season due to an injury. This information was confirmed by Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan. However, Chennai has not yet announced a replacement for Ellis.

What happened to Nathan Ellis?

The 31-year-old Australian fast bowler, Nathan Ellis, is currently battling a hamstring injury. Consequently, he will be unable to recover in time and may have to sit out the IPL. Speaking to *Sportstar*, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan stated:

"This is a huge blow for us. Ellis is a crucial bowler during the death overs. We are currently considering options for his replacement."

How ​​many matches has Nathan Ellis played in the IPL?

Kasi Viswanathan's statement makes it clear that Nathan Ellis will not be part of the 2026 IPL season. Chennai may bring in another fast bowler to take his place in the squad. Nathan Ellis played just one match for Chennai during the 2025 season, in which he claimed one wicket. Overall, he has taken a total of 19 wickets across 17 matches in the IPL.

When will Chennai play their first match?

Looking at the Chennai Super Kings' fast-bowling department, with Ellis now ruled out, the team has options available such as Matt Henry, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, and Khaleel Ahmed. The Chennai Super Kings are scheduled to play their opening match on March 30 in Guwahati against the Rajasthan Royals. Chennai Team (CSK Squad): Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Prashant Veer, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Short, Jamie Overton, Rahul Tripathi, Sarfaraz Khan, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Mhatre, Shaik Rasheed, Andre Siddharth, Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Vansh Bedi, Aman Khan, Jack Foulds, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Ramakrishna Ghosh.