The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to begin on March 23. The first match will be played between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The tournament has not even started yet but the injury list has already started. Kolkata Knight Riders have already lost Anrich Nortje, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti to injuries. The latest addition to that list is CSK’s South African pacer Lungi Ngidi.
Ngidi made his IPL debut last year and bagged 11 wickets in his maiden season. He was supposed to play an important role during CSK’s title defense this year.
However he suffered from a side strain while playing for his country in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. As a result he has been ruled out for at least four weeks. Ngidi will then undergo rehabilitation before the commencement of World Cup.
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CSK looking for suitable replacement
“Lungi felt discomfort while bowling during the last ODI against Sri Lanka at Newlands and immediately stopped bowling. Further scans revealed a Grade II muscle strain which will need up to four weeks of rest followed by a rehab program leading up to the World Cup,” said South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee to India Today.
CSK will be worried about the current scenario. The absence of Ngidi means they have a very thin line of frontline pacers. These include Deepak Chahar, Mohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur. David Wiley of England and Dwayne Bravo will play as fast bowling all-rounders.
As a result CSK is forced to find a suitable replacement for the injured pacer.“Ngidi will be missed. We are in the process of identifying a replacement,” CSK’s CEO KS Viswanathan was quoted saying.
In the previous edition, CSK came back from a two-year ban. After playing one match in Chennai, they had to change their home base to Pune due to Cauvery Water Dispute. Despite all these odds, they went on to win the tournament and lift the trophy for the third time.