Dewald Previs, Chennai Super Kings player (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)
Chennai Super Kings have suffered another injury setback ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League, with Dewald Previs set to miss the opening matches of the season. This development comes as a fresh blow to CSK, who are already without MS Dhoni in the initial phase. According to reports, Previs was ruled out for the first two or three games due to a side strain, which weakened the team’s middle order at the start of the season. Brevis was retained for INR 2.20 crore after an impressive showing last year. The South African batsman scored 225 runs in six matches at an average of 37.50 and a strike rate of 180.0, including two half-centuries. He also appeared in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he made 207 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 146.80 for the South Africa national cricket team, before their semi-final exit against the New Zealand national cricket team.
Meanwhile, Dhoni is set to miss at least the first two weeks of the tournament after suffering a calf strain in training, leaving CSK short of an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman early on. The injury concerns don’t end there. Earlier, Australian player Nathan Ellis was ruled out for the entire season due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Spencer Johnson. Despite these setbacks, CSK will start their campaign against
Rajasthan Royals
On March 30 at Barsabara Cricket Ground. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, the team will aim to bounce back from the disappointing previous season where they finished last with just four wins in 14 matches.
The team is also expected to unveil a new opening pair, partnering Gaikwad
Sanju Samson
who joined the franchise through a trade deal involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. With their key players unavailable initially, CSK will need to find the right balance quickly as they look to start their IPL 2026 journey on a strong note.