Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis is expected to be ruled out of IPL 2026 after he aggravated his old hamstring injury while playing in the final of the One Day Cup. This news comes as a huge blow for five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, who are already light as far as the team’s bowling department is concerned.
The Injury
Nathan Ellis, who captained Tasmania in the final of the One-Day Cup, bowled five overs in a rain-curtailed encounter and returned with figures of 2 for 26, aggravating his old hamstring injury in the process.
The Implication
The injury to Nathan Ellis could affect the bowling strategy of the Chennai Super Kings, who have Jamie Overton, Matt Henry and Zak Foulkes as the three overseas fast bowling options. As far as the team’s Indian bowling contingent is concerned, it comprises Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Choudhary as the three specialist fast bowlers, along with Shivam Dube and Aman Khan as fast bowling all-rounders and Gurjanpreet Singh, who will take care of CSK’s spin bowling department.
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The Performance
If we talk about the performance of Nathan Ellis, who was retained by the Chennai Super Kings before the 2026 IPL auction, the fast bowler played just one game for the team in 2025 and was expected to lead the attack, being one of the most experienced overseas bowlers in the squad but the hamstring injury has cast doubts over his participation in the upcoming season.
The Record
Including the one match that Nathan Ellis played for the Chennai Super Kings in 2025, he has played a total of 17 matches in IPL, 16 of which came for the Punjab Kings between 2021 and 2024.
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The Reaction
Chennai Super Kings haven’t confirmed the unavailability of Nathan Ellis for the 2026 IPL season at the time of publishing this article.