Chennai Super Kings’ injury woes continue as Deepak Chahar, the swing bowler, picked up a suspected hamstring injury in the first over of their match against Mumbai Indians on April 8. Chahar picked up this latest fitness setback after bowling just five balls of his opening over at the Wankhede Stadium. Despite consulting with the team physio, Chahar limped off the field and did not take further part in the game. While it is not yet confirmed how long he will be out for, the injury has come as a blow to CSK, who have already been hit by injuries to other key players. Ben Stokes, the other big-money recruit for CSK, is also likely to be out of action for a week with a toe injury. The England Test captain missed the match against Mumbai Indians and is unlikely to feature in the home game against his former team, Rajasthan Royals, on April 12. There is a possibility that Stokes may return for the away fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 17, but this will depend on how quickly he recovers. In addition to Chahar and Stokes, CSK had to do without Moeen Ali in the match against Mumbai Indians. Ali had missed the marquee fixture due to food poisoning, but he is expected to be fit for the team’s next game. The off-spinning all-rounder’s availability will be a big boost for CSK, who have had to rely heavily on their own spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir, and Mitchell Santner. CSK’s injury problems have made matters worse for the team, who had already suffered a rare defeat against Mumbai Indians. The loss snapped their seven-game winning streak against their arch-rivals and brought them down to earth after an opening win against Delhi Capitals. With Chahar and Stokes joining the list of injured players, CSK will have to dig deep and rely on their experienced players to step up and fill the void.
