IPL 2026: CSK replace injured Nathan Ellis with left-arm Australian pacer

In a major development, Chennai Super Kings have signed Spencer Johnson as a replacement for the injured Nathan Ellis ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, who was ruled out of the tournament earlier this week owing to a hamstring injury. Johnson will join the CSK squad soon and is expected to be available for selection ahead of the side's first game, which will be played on March 30.

Yet another PSL signee joins IPL franchise

For the unversed, Johnson was supposed to play for Quetta Gladiators in the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League, slated to begin on March 26. As a result, the Australian cricketer joins the list of many cricketers who have ditched their PSL contract and will be travelling to India instead in order to feature in the cash-rich tournament. Johnson has been signed by CSK for his base price of INR 1.5 crore.

However, it is worth mentioning that Johnson isn't unfamiliar to the IPL system, having played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025, while his IPL debut came for the Gujarat Titans in 2024, where he played under the captaincy of Shubman Gill. Overall, the 30-year-old has played nine IPL matches, picking five wickets at an average of 56.80. He plays for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

With 2026 presenting him the opportunity to represent his third franchise, the Adelaide-born will be confident of helping the five-time champions lift yet another title, as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led unit begins the campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in a fierce game at the ACA Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati.

Chennai Super Kings' updated squad for IPL 2026

MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zak Foulkes, and Spencer Johnson.