Former Mumbai Indians fast bowler Akash Madhwal Chennai Super Kings have emerged as the frontrunners in the race to join the team amid the ongoing 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Uttarakhand fast bowler was recently seen at the Chennai-based team's net session in Hyderabad ahead of the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, April 18.
Apart from Madhwal, a few other fast bowlers have also reported to the CSK camp as replacements for the departed Khaleel. However, according to reports, Madhwal has emerged as the first choice for the five-time champion. An official announcement on this matter is expected through a media release soon.
If this happens, Madhwal can be directly included in the playing eleven as a frontline pacer, who can open the attack with the ball for Chennai. Although it is unlikely that Madhwal will play in the match against SRH, he could be included in the squad ahead of the match against MI, the franchise for which he made his IPL debut in 2023. He also played for Rajasthan Royals. However, he remained unsold in the 2026 mini-auction.
For those unaware, this is CSK's fourth injury concern this IPL season. They lost Nathan Ellis before the start of the season, and he was later replaced by Spencer Johnson. Legendary cricketer MS Dhoni is suffering from calf muscle strain and has not played in any match yet. Dewald Brewis also missed the first few games, and Khalil ruled himself out of the marquee T20 event.
CSK current team for IPL 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sanju Samson, MS Dhoni, Dewald Brewis, Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Sarfaraz Khan, Noor Ahmed, Akeal Hosein, Gurjapaneet Singh, Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Matt Short, Urvil Patel, Aman Khan, Jack Foulkes, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson and Mukesh Chaudhary.
Get every cricket update! Follow us: :
Leave a Reply