Chennai Super Kings: Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be without South Africa batter Dewald Brevis for their IPL 2026 opening match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) after he suffered a side strain while training, confirmed head coach Stephen Fleming.
“CSK is hopeful he will be fit again soon,” said Fleming in the pre-match press conference at the ACA Stadium on Sunday. Brevis’ absence compounds CSK’s injury woes – fast bowler Nathan Ellis has already been ruled out of the season, while former captain MS Dhoni is expected to miss the first two weeks of the competition due to a calf strain.
It is understood that Dhoni has not traveled with the team to Guwahati and has stayed back in Chennai instead to focus on his recovery. Left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson, named as Ellis’ replacement, is due to join the squad on April 21 as he continues his recovery from a back stress fracture issue.
CSK endured a poor campaign in 2025, finishing at the bottom of the table with just four wins, and will be hoping for a turnaround in 2026. Brevis had impressed in his short stint last season after joining as a replacement player for Gurjapneet Singh, scoring 225 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 180, including 17 sixes. He was retained for this season and was widely tipped to play a key role in the middle order.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has confirmed he will open alongside Sanju Samson, which means Sarfaraz Khan and Urvil Patel can be other middle-order options till Brevis is declared fit.
Article Source: IANS