As much as there’s buzz surrounding the famous Chennai Super Kings team with regard to Sanju Samson having signed up to play for the famous franchise, there are also some troubles that seem to be gripping the legendary IPL marquee. And the same have been highlighted by a noted cricket analyst.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed concerns that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could face challenges in death bowling during IPL 2026 since Nathan Ellis is unavailable. The former Indian cricketer noted that the Australian pacer is the only specialist death bowler in the five-time champions’ squad.
Also Read: 3 Players who can replace Nathan Ellis in IPL 2026 Ellis was one of CSK’s 15 retentions ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
However, reports suggest the right-arm seamer could miss the entire season due to a hamstring injury. Speaking on his YouTube channel, YouTube, Chopra addressed the potential impact of Ellis’ absence. “What exactly is happening? Reports indicate he may be ruled out for the entire season. I believe he is extremely important because he is a death-bowling specialist.
CSK fans, please don’t mind, but he was your only specialist at the death,” he said. Aakash Chopra also questioned who would take up the responsibility in the final overs if Ellis is unavailable. “There’s no doubt you have several fast bowlers—Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurjapneet Singh, and Anshul Kamboj—but who will bowl at the death?” he added. The former batter pointed out that CSK had relied on Ellis to handle death overs after releasing Matheesha Pathirana. “You don’t see any of them as a reliable two-over option at the death. Pathirana used to fill that role.
