IPL 2021: Lungi Ngidi, Jason Behrendorff Likely To Miss Two More Games For CSK This Year, Hints Coach Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings head coach, Stephen Fleming has confirmed that pacers Lungi Ngidi and Jason Behrendorff will not be available for their next match as well. CSK looked short of an express pace bowler on the Wankhede pitch failing to defend 189 against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

The 3-time champions take on KL Rahul’s Punjab Kings on Friday (April 16). Lungi Ngidi wasn’t available for the match against the Capitals – and now as Stephen Fleming said he won’t be for their second match either – because of the 7-day quarantine upon arriving in India from South Africa.

Ngidi, along with compatriots Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, and Anrich Nortje, arrived late for the start of the tournament as they were playing Pakistan.

Jason Behrendorff, who is signed as the replacement for Josh Hazlewood, is not yet known as to when he will fly in or has he already. He, too, will miss the second game of CSK owing to the 7-day mandatory isolation. He has featured in five IPL games for the Mumbai Indians in 2019.

Stephen Fleming lamented on the pulling out of Hazlewood a week before the tournament commenced. The Australian seamer wanted to give himself “the best chance to be mentally and physically ready” for the packed international season ahead.

“No, (Lungi) Ngidi won’t be available in time for the next game. So losing Josh Hazlewood, which was the plan to have him available for these games now, is a blow as an option upfront. Ngidi will be arriving soon (from quarantine) and (Jason) Behrendorff will be following that. So, it’s an area we are a little bit short on, but we still look at the Indian bowlers that we have, international bowler Sam Curran,” Stephen Fleming said after the game.

We just have to find a way: Stephen Fleming

The former New Zealand captain opined on CSK playing in Mumbai. He pointed out that they are a side suited to play on the Chennai pitch, which is spin-suited, and hence they are trying to decode the combination to play on the pace-assisting and flat track at Wankhede.

Stephen Fleming also noticed how the Mumbai Indians struggled in the first game in Chennai against Bangalore, because they are a team who likes to play in batting-0friendly conditions and fo pace0heavy in their bowling.

“We will learn a lot from being here for another four games. But don’t underestimate how much it takes to change the philosophy of a side. We are very much a Chennai-based side. We saw Mumbai struggle to a degree in Chennai the other night. They have got a challenge on how to change their tactics in Chennai, and our tactics have to be a little bit better with the ball in Mumbai.

“So, it’s one of the quirks of this competition in this Covid-19 age, and we just have to find a way. It’s going to be high-scoring games in Mumbai, and toss might play a crucial role,” the 48-year-old coach asserted.

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