'He's not a great bowler' - Kris Srikkanth's brutal statement on Nathan Ellis after IPL 2026

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth offered a damning assessment of Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis, questioning whether the Chennai Super Kings retained player possesses the credentials to succeed in the Indian Premier League. Srikkanth's comments centred on Ellis's limited IPL experience and his perceived inability to adapt to the demands of the tournament.

Ellis was ruled out of IPL 2026 after aggravating a hamstring injury sustained during the domestic One-Day Cup final on March 11. CSK had retained the Australian bowler for INR 2 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, despite his limited involvement with the franchise. Ellis had played only one match for CSK in the 2025 season.

"He's not a great bowler. All he does is run in fast and bowl slowly. He has no track record in the IPL. Luckily for CSK, he got injured last season. He would have been smashed to all corners," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

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Ellis's IPL record and CSK retention

Across his IPL career, Ellis has featured in 17 matches overall, with 16 appearances coming during his time with Punjab Kings between 2021 and 2024. His IPL record shows 19 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 28.74 with an economy rate of 8.67. Srikkanth's criticism suggested that Ellis's overall IPL numbers and performance patterns did not justify confidence in his ability to perform consistently in the tournament.

Srikkanth's broader critique of English fast bowlers

Srikkanth extended his critique to English fast bowlers more broadly, arguing that overseas pace options lack the necessary skills to thrive on Indian pitches. He specifically mentioned Josh Tongue as a player he would not select for CSK, citing the abundance of domestic talent available.

"He will get smashed on Indian conditions. His express pace will only travel faster to the boundary in India. I won't pick Josh Tongue for sure if I were CSK. There are 10,000 other better options and so many other youngsters available. England bowlers should not be picked at all. They are fit to bowl only on English pitches," said Srikkanth.

Srikkanth pointed to the example of Jamie Overton, who took time to establish himself in the IPL before becoming a reliable performer. He argued that Indian cricket possessed sufficient bowling talent without rushing to recruit overseas fast bowlers who struggled in their initial seasons.

"Even Overton did well only after playing a couple of seasons of IPL. He was smashed in the first two seasons. There is enough talent in India itself. But they shouldn't rush and pick some of these overseas guys," Srikkanth concluded.