In a bizarre development for CSK, they have faced another blow as Khaleel Ahmed has been ruled out of the IPL. He had done great for CSK from the last season; his absence will add more headache in the Chennai dug out, though he was not in a great rhythm in this season, taking two wickets only in 5 matches with an economy rate of 8.67. In the testing times, his absence will hurt CSK, but if CSK manages to bring in someone using this opportunity, like last year, what they did with bringing in Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Bravis in place of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad and Gurjapneet Singh, but CSK’s main question will be about the options, there are not so many players available, if they try to find someone experienced it is going to be a tough task.
Here are the options they can think of
Akash Madhwal- In his first season, the left-arm quick impressed with his raw speed for the Mumbai Indians, known for his yorkers and death over speciality. He can be a good option for CSK as they need someone who can do well in the end. Apart from that, Madhwal has a good IPL experience, which makes him more interesting. Also, cricbuzz has confirmed on Instagram that CSK has called him for a net session, but they will see more options before making a decision.
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Chetan Sakariya- Another comparable choice to Khaleel in terms of left-arm tempo. Despite being unsold at the IPL 2026 auction for a base price of Rs 75 lakh, he impressed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, taking 12 wickets in seven matches. His ability to swing the new ball makes him an excellent candidate.
Simarjeet Singh- The tall Delhi man has recently been seen in the KKR camp as a net bowler. Simarjeet Singh has also pace and swing in his arm, and he recently appeared in the Emerging Players Asia Cup. Last year, he appeared in the orange army.
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CSK has Mukesh Chowdhary in their team, but his economy rate and control in the bowling have remained concerning. The yellow army will face the orange brigade in the southern derby on Saturday.
