IPL 2023: Injury concerns pile up for CSK as Sisanda Magala ruled out for two weeks, confirms coach Fleming
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Sisanda Magala, who replaced Kyle Jamieson in the CSK squad, left the field against Rajasthan Royals with a split webbing and is now ruled out for two weeks, coach Stephen Fleming has confirmed.
Injury concerns continue to pile up for Chennai Super Kings as their foreign seamer Sisanda Magala got ruled out for two weeks, coach Stephen Fleming confirmed. Against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday night, Magala left the field with a split webbing in his hand and thus didn't bowl his remaining two overs.
It comes a dent for the injury-filled CSK that already has few of their players, mostly the fast bowlers, down and out. While CSK's most-expensive recruit Deepak Chahar is out for two weeks due to a hamstring injury, MS Dhoni's CSK is also without Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary and overseas seamer Kyle Jamieson, who got replaced by Magala ahead of the start of the season.
Owing to the unavailability of several first-team players, CSK brought in left-arm seamer Akash Singh into the XI against Rajasthan, who returned with figures of two for 40 in four overs. Tushar Deshpande, who suffered the wrath for leaking runs in the previous games, also picked up two wickets, while Magala conceded just 14 runs in two overs.
Speaking to the media after the match, Fleming told reporters, “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.”
Lamenting over the untimely and unfortunate turn of events relating to injuries to fast bowlers, Fleming said the team is already operating on thin resources.
"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," Fleming said.
Adding further on the only overseas option available in Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana, who got tested for Covid-19 during the New Zealand tour, Fleming said he has recovered and will remain in contention for selection.
“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,” Fleming added.
CSK will next face Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 17th in Bengaluru.
