IPL 2026: Chennnai Super Kings sign Spencer Johnson as Nathan Ellis' replacement

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have announced an injury replacement for fast bowler Nathan Ellis ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). Ellis has been ruled out of the upcoming season due to a hamstring injury and will be replaced by Spencer Johnson, according to the IPL media release.

Ellis was retained for Rs 2 crore ahead of the upcoming season, but his hamstring injury aggravated while playing for Tasmania during the National One Day Cup on March 11. As a result, he won’t be seen in action during the entire IPL 2026, forcing CSK to sign his compatriot Spencer Johnson for Rs 1.5 Crore.

Johnson has played five ODIs and eight T20Is for Australia, having taken 18 wickets in total. In his T20 career, he has scalped 85 wickets from 71 innings at an average of 22.94 and an economy of 7.94. The left-arm seamer has previously played for Gujarat Titans (GT) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and has scalped five wickets in his IPL career.

Matthew Short's injury adds to CSK's woes

Meanwhile, apart from Ellis, CSK have been rocked by another injury blow ahead of the season as all-rounder Matthew Short is also likely to miss a few games. Short was bought at the IPL 2026 mini auction for Rs 1.5 Crore but is reportedly set to miss the first few matches of the tournament due to a fractured thumb.

Short has played 24 T20Is and 18 ODIs for Australia and scored 808 runs in total.  He boasts a phenomenal strike rate of 150.18 in T20Is, with one half-century to his name. In his IPL career, he has represented Punjab Kings in six matches during the 2023 season, scoring 117 runs at an average of 19.5. 

CSK would hope that Short gets fit in time as they begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 30 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.