CSK bring in Spencer Johnson as replacement for Nathan Ellis ahead of IPL 2026

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a huge blow as Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. Hence, in his replacement, CSK have brought in Spencer Johnson as a replacement for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Johnson has previously been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans in the league. He went unsold in the IPL auction in December.

Moreover, he had pulled out of the PSL contract, citing a personal reason since he was one of the front-runners to replace Ellis in the CSK squad. The Super Kings have a solid batting lineup, but the bowling looks weak. They do not have wicket-taking bowlers or players who can instantly put pressure on the batters.

The team will have to find out a way to make it work with the bowling attack that they have since they haven’t qualified for the playoffs in the last two seasons and will be eyeing for the same this year. The five-time IPL champions have had a hard time winning games in their own backyard last year, so they will surely have to plan out their playing XI accordingly.

Also read: Who is Saurabh Dubey, the left-arm pacer who replaced Akash Deep in the KKR squad for IPL 2026?

CSK’s probable playing XI for IPL 2026

The Super Kings should start with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ayush Mhatre as openers along with Sanju Samson at No. 3. Then they have Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, MS Dhoni, Jamie Overton/Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mukesh Choudhary. The playing XI surely does look sorted on paper and will hope to workout in all the matches throughout the tournament.

CSK’s playing XI (probable): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mukesh Choudhary.

Impact Player: Noor Ahmad

Also read: IPL 2026 jersey guide: Where to buy jersey of each team, prices, and new kit designs