The Chennai Super Kings will be yet another franchisee that will be jolted with the absence of the South African pacer Lungi Ngidi. Four South African players including Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje will miss out on the opening game as they will be put into quarantine if they are not transferred from bubble to bubble. Their quarantine could last for seven days and this would affect their availability for the game. Naturally, the team is looking out for the replacements of the missing players. Talking about CSK, they have four names who can step into the shoes of Ngidi. Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi & David Miller Will Miss Out on Opening Matches of IPL 2021, Franchises Suffer From Big Blow.

The first name that crops up here is Shardul Thakur. The CSK pacer has been applauded for his performance in the recent series against England. He has scalped four vital wickets in the decider match against England and led the team to a stunning win. Prior to that, even Zaheer Khan had praised him for being a silent performer.

Harishankar Reddy is yet another name who could step into the shoes of Lungi Ngidi. He is a newbie for the Chennai Super Kings but had recently grabbed headlines for his ripper to MS Dhoni during one of the practice games. He has been quite good with the ball even in the domestic T20s. From 13 games, Reddy has scalped 19 wickets. CSK Bowler Harishankar Reddy Uproots Leg Stump to Dismiss MS Dhoni During Practice Match, Video Goes Viral.

Imran Tahir is another option that can be explored well by Chennai Super Kings. Tahir did not play last year in IPL 2020 owing to an injury, but time and again has proven his worth for his wicket-taking abilities.

Finally, we have Josh Hazlewood who can step into the shoes of the South African bowler. He featured in three matches in IPL 2020 and could only get one wicket.

The first match between CSK and RCB will take place on April 10, 2021. The game will be played at the Wankhede Stadium at 7.30 pm IST. Needless to say, the fans are waiting for the start of the cash-rich league.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2021 08:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).