Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are on the lookout for Khaleel Ahmed replacement in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) after the pacer was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury. Notably, the left-arm quick incurred the injury during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where he could not finish his spell due to what seemed like cramps at that time.
It was later understood that he had suffered a quadriceps injury with a tentative recovery timeline of “more than 12 weeks to heal”, according to a CSK statement. The setback comes at a crucial time for the five-time champions, who were finally picking up steam with consecutive wins after beginning the IPL 2026 campaign with a hat-trick of losses.
It will thus be of utmost importance to fill the void left by Khaleel and the CSK management have already shortlisted a few players. Amongst them, one name is a former Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Akash Madhwal. The confirmation of the development was given by CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan.
The 32-year-old, who had gone unsold at the IPL 2026 auction last December, was seen with CSK players at Hyderabad on the eve of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) tomorrow (April 18). Akash Madhwal is trialling at the nets with few other bowlers in a bid to land an IPL contract.
Notably, Madhwal was previously being touted as a replacement for Harshit Rana at KKR as the India pacer was forced to miss IPL 2026 after undergoing knee surgery. However, the three-time champions eventually opted to go for Navdeep Saini.
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Akash Madhwal has played three seasons in the IPL across two teams. Apart from Mumbai Indians, he has also plied his trade with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
Speaking about his overall IPL numbers, Madhwal has snared 23 scalps in 17 innings, which includes a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul with his best figures being 5/5.
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