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Cricket PlayersSisanda Magala adds to CSK’s woes as injuries threaten to derail IPL 2023 season
IPL 2023: Sisanda Magala went off the field with an injury in the game against Rajasthan Royals. Deepak Chahar picked up an injury against Mumbai Indians.
After the loss to the Rajasthan Royals at Chepauk on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings Coach Stephen Fleming has admitted that the team are operating on pretty thin resources as injuries to multiple players threaten to derail their playoff chances.
The pace bowling unit in particular has been affected the most. Sisanda Magala went off the field with an injury in the game against RR last night. Deepak Chahar picked up an injury against Mumbai Indians. Seamer Simarjeet Singh, who had missed almost the whole of the last Indian domestic season with injury, is still recovering. While they had lost both Kyle Jamieson and Mukesh Choudhary before the season even started.
On Magala, who had to leave the field with a split webbing after bowling two overs, Fleming said, “For us again, it's losing another player, that's two games in a row and we're already pretty thin, so we'd like it (injuries) to stop.”
Magala had incidentally joined the Super Kings squad as a replacement player after New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson had been ruled out of the entire tournament due to injury. Super Kings are already without left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary who will also miss the entire IPL season.
"Magala's hand was split unfortunately, so he was unable to bowl those last two overs. And same with Deepak Chahar in the last game, so we're operating on pretty thin resources. But we're not the only team to have that. I think a lot of players coming out of a big domestic season are a little bit broken, but we just keep having to find solutions, so we'll do that in the next four days. But, yeah, it's not ideal yet. The captain has to then think on his feet (if bowlers keep getting injured). Moeen Ali had to come back (after Magala hurt his webbing), and he hadn't had a great day but he got the wicket of (Jos) Buttler which was good,” Fleming said.
"And you've got young players like Akash (Singh) who is coming in for his first game, having to bowl some key overs. It's not how we plan, but T20 very rarely goes to plan," the CSK coach added.
Fleming said that Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who had tested positive for Covid-19 in New Zealand, had recovered and was available for selection now.
“Chahar is out for a few weeks. Magala is out for two weeks. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana tested positive for Covid-19 in NZ and has recovered and is available for selection now. We did not want to rush him back for this game.”
Skipper MS Dhoni is also nursing a knee injury, according to Stephen Fleming, which is hindering his running between the wickets. Despite the knee trouble, Dhoni is expected to be ever-present for CSK this season.
Ben Stokes, Super Kings' INR 16.5 cr pick at the auction last December, has also missed the last two games with a minor toe injury. He is being monitored on a day-to-day basis and is expected to be fit for the game against RCB on April 17.
