Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been hit with another major setback in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) as pacer Sisanda Magala is set to be ruled out of action for at least two weeks due to an injury. The news was confirmed by the head coach of CSK, Stephen Fleming, who expressed his disappointment at losing yet another player.
Magala sustained a split webbing during the match against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday, April 12, after bowling just two overs. This is a massive blow for CSK, who are already grappling with the injuries of Kyle Jamieson, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Chahar, and Ben Stokes.
According to Stephen Fleming, “It’s yet another massive setback for us, and the injuries just seem to keep piling up. We were already struggling with the number of injuries, and this news is definitely not what we wanted to hear. Regrettably, Magala couldn’t bowl the last two overs due to a split webbing injury. Although we’re optimistic that the injuries will cease, we’re aware that other teams are also facing similar issues.”
The medical staff has yet to determine the extent of Magala’s injury, and the team has yet to release an official statement on his status. The South African pacer joined the CSK set-up as a replacement player after Kyle Jamieson was ruled out for the tournament due to a lower-back stress fracture.
Magala had been in great form before the injury, having finished joint fourth-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps at an economy of 8.68 in the recently concluded SA20 in South Africa. With him out of action, it remains to be seen if Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana will get a chance in the XI for the upcoming games.
CSK’s next match is against their fierce rivals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, on Monday, April 17.