Chennai Super Kings' IPL 2026 campaign seemed to be coming back on track after consecutive wins, especially in the aftermath of three losses at the start of the tournament. But they have now been dealt a huge blow as their left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed has been ruled out of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a quadriceps injury.
He experienced pain in his right hip while bowling during the previous game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, which CSK won by 32 runs. Khaleel walked off the field as well after delivering only five deliveries of the 17th over of the innings. Gurjapneet Singh had finished his over in that game, but his injury is a huge blow for the five-time champions as he was the designated new-ball bowler for CSK.
"It is a grade 2 tear and the rehab will take at least 10-12 weeks," an IPL source told PTI. The left-arm fast bowler picked only two wickets in five matches, but his economy of 8.67 was the second-best among all CSK bowlers this season. His performance in the KKR clash was arguably the best of the season so far, and it had seemed that he was getting into the groove.
Injuries continue to hurt CSK in IPL 2026
Khaleel Ahmed has been one of the regular players in the CSK side since the last season. CSK have been troubled by injuries this season as they are already missing their talisman, MS Dhoni, due to a calf injury who has not played a single game yet in IPL 2026. Dewald Brevis also missed the first three matches of the team while Nathan Ellis got ruled out just before the start of the season.
The franchise signed Spencer Johnson as his replacement and even he is recovering from an injury and is not available at least until the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It remains to be seen if the franchise will now opt for Khaleel's replacement for the rest of the season.
Also Read
