Willey in for Jadhav
chennai: England all-rounder David Willey has been roped in by Chennai Super Kings as a replacement for the injured Kedar Jadhav for the IPL tournament this year. The announcement was made in an IPL media advisory.
Jadhav was ruled out of the entire IPL season due to a hamstring injury after featuring in Chennai Super Kings’ opening game against Mumbai Indians, which the hosts won by one wicket.
The team's batting coach Mike Hussey had said on Monday that losing Jadhav, a key player in the middle-order, was a big blow. Willey, a left-arm medium pacer and a batsman, has featured in 34 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 20 T20 Internationals, and plays for Yorkshire in the English County circuit. Willey will become the 12th Englishman to receive a call-up in this IPL. CSK's next game is against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on April 15.
‘Feels good to come back’
chennai: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said it felt good to come back after two years and win at the M A Chidambaram Stadium here, after beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL on Tuesday night. "It feels good, to come back after two years and win. The crowd deserved the first innings, the second innings. Everybody has their own emotion levels, but in the dugout, we like to keep faith in our batsmen or bowler in a particular time," he said. "Positive energy helps. My pulse rises too — and that's why we have a dressing room. I express myself in the dressing room but not in the dugout," he added, at the presentation ceremony after CSK posted a five-wicket in over KKR in its first game at home on return to IPL. Dhoni said bowlers from both sides had a rough time but the crowd must have enjoyed.
"If you're too expressive in the field, then commentators get a lot of things to talk about. It's good to see Sam bat the way he batted. Yes, we did go for runs, and Kolkata did bat well," he said. "Bowlers from both sides had a rough time, but I'm sure the crowd enjoyed," he added.
KKR captain Dinesh Karthik said it was frustrating not to defend 202 and praised Andre Russell who blasted a blistering 88.
‘ban made me humble’
chennai: Arrogance can bring about a downfall for even the best in the business and Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell has learnt it the hard way after serving a year-long ban for violation of WADA's anti-doping whereabouts clause. One of the most sought after T20 freelancer missed out on playing PSL and IPL last year before making a comeback for Jamaica in the 50-over tournament. He did play a few games in PSL before sustaining an injury only to get fit in time for the IPL. "I think this one year I lost has made me a different person," Russell, who hit 11 sixes in his 36-ball-88 for KKR said after his team's five-wicket defeat against CSK. "I have learnt how to be humble. I need to make sure that you stay on top of what you are doing as a professional and yet be humble. I just want to ensure that these things don't happen again," Russell said.
He has been in good form in the two matches so far. "I think I am confident. My confidence level is very high,” he added.