CSK Announces Nathan Ellis' Withdrawal from IPL 2026 Due to Injury
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Chennai, March 20 (NationPress) The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have clinched the IPL title five times, are facing a significant setback just days before the commencement of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Their leading bowler, Nathan Ellis, has been sidelined for the entire tournament due to a hamstring injury.
This news was officially shared by the franchise via a social media update on Friday. CSK stated, "Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the season due to a hamstring injury. Wishing him a speedy recovery!" on their X account.
In his IPL career, Ellis has taken 19 wickets over 17 matches. He was acquired by CSK for Rs 2 crore during the 2025 mega auction after previously spending four seasons with the Punjab Kings and was retained for the 2026 season.
The 31-year-old had been performing remarkably well for Australia in the past year and was anticipated to play a crucial role for CSK, especially after the team released their former key bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, who will now represent the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) this season.
With Ellis out, CSK's roster now includes overseas fast bowlers Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, and Zak Foulkes. The Indian bowlers in the squad are Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary.
The team, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, also features T20 World Cup champion Shivam Dube and Aman Khan as pace-bowling all-rounders.
CSK will kick off their IPL 2026 journey on March 30 against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Following that, they will host the Punjab Kings on April 3 and the Delhi Capitals on April 11 at their home ground, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, before heading to Bengaluru to face the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on April 5.
Last season, CSK struggled, finishing at the bottom of the table with just four wins out of 14 matches and were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention.