Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has confirmed that overseas pacers Lungi Ngidi and Jason Behrendorff would be unavailable for its next match, against Punjab Kings, on Friday.
After losing Josh Hazlewood, the plan was to have Ngidi for these games and have Behrendorff join the team soon after, Fleming said after Super Kings’ defeat to Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
While Ngidi was involved in South Africa’s home series against Pakistan, Behrendorff was roped in as a late replacement after Hazlewood pulled out due to COVID-19 concerns.
While Ngidi arrived on Sunday afternoon and began his mandatory isolation-cum-testing, The Hindu understands Behrendorff will reach here by Monday night. The duo has to be in isolation for a week.
The absence of a tearaway pace bowler — something that’s become as necessary as a leg-spinner in every IPL bowling attack — cost the Super Kings dearly as Capitals openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan made mincemeat of the medium-pacers.
Fleming admitted raw pace was an area his unit was lacking in at the moment. “It’s an area that we are probably short on. But we still look at the Indian bowlers and we have international bowler Sam Curran and probably expect a little bit more (from pacers).”
