IPL 2021: Ngidi, Behrendorff to miss CSK’s next game against Punjab Kings

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 oubreak concerns.

The news of Ngidi's (left) unavailability for CSK's second game was informed by Stephen Fleming- Sandeep Saxena

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has confirmed that overseas pacers Lungi Ngidi and Jason Behrendorff would be unavailable of its next tie, against Punjab Kings on Friday, of the Indian Premier League (IPL). “(Lungi) Ngidi won’t be available. He won’t be arriving in time for the next game. So losing Josh Hazlewood, which was the plan to have him available for these games, is a blow simply as an option up front. Ngidi will be arriving soon. (Jason) Behrendorff would obviously be following that,” Fleming said after the Super Kings’ lost its tournament-opener versus Delhi Capitals on Saturday night.

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 oubreak concerns .

Ngidi arrived in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon and began his mandatory isolation-cum-testing phase before being allowed to join the CSK bubble. Sportstar understands Behrendorff will reach here by Monday night and will have to be isolated for a week. Absence of a tearaway pace bowler - something that’s become as necessary as including a leg-spinner in every IPL bowling attack - cost the Super Kings dearly as the Capitals openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan made a meat of medium-pacers.

Fleming admitted raw pace is an area his unit is lacking 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).”