Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey has spoken about the injury problems the team has been battling ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He said that although the absence of injured players will be huge, They have enough depth in the team.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be without key players for the start of IPL 2024. New Zealander Devon Conway and Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana are suffering from injuries and will miss the opening games of the tournament for the defending champions.
This will undoubtedly hamper the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) combination. Devon Conway played a huge role for the team at the top of the order alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, this time the initial partnership will be broken and this could cost the team as well.
On the bowling front, Matheesha Pathirana was also exceptional with the ball. He played a vital role in the death and chose many grounds. He was one of the main reasons why Chennai Super Kings won their fifth title and dominated the entire tournament.
Michael Hussey addressed the injury concerns, saying they will miss their key players but have confidence in the other players on the team. He believes that they have a good team and can overcome challenges easily. Speaking during the inauguration of the Pavit Singh Nayar Memorial All India T20 inter-collegiate cricket tournament for men and women at Guru Nanak College in Chennai, he explained (quoted by Sportstar):
“Well, of course, they are world-class players. Therefore, it will be difficult to replace them. But we feel we have enough depth in the team to be able to cover him at this stage. But of course, we are going to miss them. One, for his skills, but also for his character within the team.
“So, yeah, I mean every team has their injury challenges. You just have to deal with it the best you can. I think we’ve put together a really good team with a lot of depth. So I feel like we can cover it well.”
Michael Hussey says Ajinkya Rahane or Rachin Ravindra could move up the order in Devon Conway’s absence
Michael Hussey further stated that Rachin Ravindra will be one of the team’s best options to open the innings. He believes the lefty is similar to Devon Conway.
Michael Hussey also spoke about the possibility of Ajinkya Rahane opening the innings, saying that the India batsman did well last year. He said:
“We have Rachin Ravindra coming in who plays a similar style to Devon Conway. There are other options too. Ajinkya Rahane played very well last year.
“I could also move up the order. So I’m not sure which way the captain and coach want to go at the moment. But, like I said, I think we have enough depth to be able to cover him in certain ways.”
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will play the first match of the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) March 22nd.