Josh Hazlewood’s unavailability for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021 has created a slight void in the bowling department in MS Dhoni’s side.
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Chennai Super Kings were dealt a blow when Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood announced that he would skip IPL 2021 due to the bio-bubble fatigue. Hazlewood, who played only three games in IPL 2020, would have struggled to break into the side. With the likes of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, Hazlewood would have struggled to get into the team.
However, Chennai Super Kings do need a back-up pacer in case Ngidi is injured. The situation is not easy for MS Dhoni’s team. According to a Times of India report, Reece Topley of England and Billy Stanlake of Australia were approached by Chennai Super Kings. Both of them rejected the offer due to the rising coronavirus cases in India. Both players also have County contracts. In this situation, who can Chennai Super Kings turn to for backup?
The absence of Hazlewood might tempt Dhoni to get either a power-hitter or a swing bowler. There are reports that Chennai Super Kings might get power-hitters like Alex Hales and Devon Conway to boost the batting.
However, they might be tempted to get Tim Southee back in the side. The New Zealand pacer proved to be a valuable asset in the death overs in 2011 for the side. Southee, who had a base price of Rs 1 crore, went unsold in the IPL 2021 auctions. If they are looking for an Australian replacement, then Jason Behrendorff might also be a valuable option. With Chennai Super Kings having only one left-arm pacer in Sam Curran, Behrendorff might be a good option.
With conditions at the Wankhede stadium assisting a bit of swing and bounce, getting Southee into the mix might be a good option. However, Dhoni has often known to pull off some surprises. The performance of net bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan might also make him a contender. Chennai Super Kings will play their first match on April 10 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede stadium.
