Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dealt a major blow ahead of the start of IPL 2026, with pacer Nathan Ellis ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. The 31-year old Australian seamer most recently featured for Tasmania in the Australian One-Day Cup final in Hobart, picking up 2/26 across five overs as his team went down to New South Wales. While it is not known as to when or how he picked up the injury, Ellis did struggle with a hamstring niggle that kept him out of the knockout stage of the Big Bash League (BBL) where he led the Hobart Hurricanes. The Super Kings confirmed that they are considering their replacement options from the more than 1,300 players in the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP). Ellis was expected to lead CSK's death-bowling charge, with the five-time champions having let go of Matheesha Pathirana ahead of the player auction in December. Jack Edwards, Ellis's countryman, has been injured and has been ruled out of the tournament as well. Edwards was set to feature for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in what would have been his maiden IPL stint, with SRH snapping him up for a sum of INR 3 crore at the player auction.