New Zealand’s medium-fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn has been drafted into the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side in place of injured Lungi Ngidi. The Kiwi will join the team next week.
Kuggeleijn had played two matches against India when the team toured the island nation in January, 2019. He went wicketless and did not make any impact with the bat. However, he made headlines when he scored a match-winning 35 against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Earlier, Kuggeleijn found himself in hot water over sexual assault charges. The bowling all-rounder, in Hamilton, was charged with rape and was acquitted after two trials in 2016 and 2017. Fans in New Zealand, during the series against India and Sri Lanka, booed him when he came to bowl or bat.
The bowler will be available for CSK’s entire campaign as New Zealand Cricket has asked all its players to be available for the entire duration of the IPL.
CSK cannot bring in any replacement for David Willey as he opted out on personal grounds .
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming explained the thought process behind picking Kuggeleijn as a replacement for Ngidi. “We can’t replace Willey. He has got a personal issue at home which he is dealing with. We have supported him and will continue to support him. We support his decision to stay at home. For Lungi, we have been a bit more selective when it comes to a replacement based on price. We have gone with Scott Kuggeleijn, who bowls quick and bats well. We have looked for an allrounder who has good pace and variations. He will be joining us next week,” he said.
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