IPL 2018: Five players who can replace Lungi Ngidi in the CSK squad

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been facing a lot of problems ever since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. While Kedar Jadhav was ruled out of the tournament after playing a match-winning knock in the first game, Suresh Raina got injured in the very next game and will take around 10 days to recover. To compound their problems, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi stuck with an unfortunate news of the demise of his father who had to leave the squad with immediate effect.

It is not clear when the cricketer will return to the squad and there is also a possibility that Ngidi might not come back to India given that the loss of his father is a huge one for his family. It was only in January when his parents were happily cheering for their son when he had picked Virat Kohli’s wicket on his debut in Test series against India. However, it is a blow for CSK as they are likely to lose yet another player now and their squad continues to get shrunk with every passing day of the tournament.

Here we bring you the five players who can replace Ngidi in the squad:

1. Dane Paterson

Given that the CSK team is banking on the pace bowler who can hit the deck hard, Dane Paterson could be the perfect replacement for his country mate. He recently played in the 3-match T20 International series against India and made an impact right away. Moreover, he bowled all the difficult overs and looked menacing in all the three matches. He clocked more than 145 kph more often than not and his inclusion could be a huge addition to the squad for the Men in Yellow.

Paterson has a fair bit of experience of playing in the shortest format of the game. In 61 T20s he has picked 62 wickets so far and was one of the most impressive bowlers in the domestic T20 competition last season. He also has 3 four-wicket hauls to his name and has taken all the wickets at an average of 24.32 while conceding only 7.29 runs per over. At his base price of Rs 50 Lakhs, CSK will get a quality fast bowler to replace Ngidi.

2. Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson is one of the prospects to watch out for in Australian cricket currently. His pace is surely up there around 140-145 kph and played for Perth Scorchers in the last season of Big Bash League (BBL). The selectors also banked on his pace and had picked him in the Test squad for the tour South Africa this year. It proves that they are ready to give chances to the 21-year-old at the highest level.

Richardson has so far played in 19 T20s and has scalped 20 wickets. Though he has been expensive so far, the youngster will learn as he plays more and what better than playing for the team of legends led by MS Dhoni. Even he will relish similar prospects and would love to feature in the Indian T20 extravaganza.

3. Matt Henry

Matt Henry is a ‘hit the deck’ bowler from New Zealand and has the experience of playing in the IPL before. Moreover, he has played for CSK before which should shift the scales in his favour a lot. He also featured for Kings XI Punjab last year but was unlucky to go unsold in the auction this year. Nevertheless, CSK might approach him as he fits into their plans and is available at his base price of Rs 50 Lakhs.

Henry is a proven T20 bowler picking 70 wickets in 76 matches while bending his back in each one of those. He goes for runs at times but the fact that he is a wicket-taker neutralises everything. The cricketer has a decent exposure of the cricket being played at the highest level which could come as an added bonus for the Chennai franchise.

4. Tymal Mills

Tymal Mills was one of the top buys last year who played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). But he failed to prove his worth and probably was under pressurised due to the price tag associated with him. He went unsold in the auction and is eagerly waiting for a call-up from any franchise. Surprisingly, he is yet to be signed by any of the teams and CSK might well go for him.

He only plays the shorter format of the game and is up and running after recently playing in the Pakistan Super League where he fared decently. Mills’ variations flummox the batsmen mostly and he could be used as a backup bowler in the team during the course of the tournament.

5. Kyle Abbott

Kyle Abbott is yet another South African pacer who is capable of generating pace out of the dead wicket. Again, he has donned the Yellow jersey before and would love to do it again. He has signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire but given that the County teams are ready to release the players for IPL, Abbott can also play the whole season. He is a veteran in this format with an experience of 113 games under his belt.

Abbott has celebrated 107 wickets of the batsmen in his career in T20s while also picking a rare five-wicket haul. Though he has been going for runs during this period, his wicket-taking ability makes him the valuable option for any team. It remains to be seen if CSK approaches him to replace the South African pacer.

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