CSK’s risky call: Injured Spencer Johnson replaces injured Nathan Ellis
CSK’s decision to sign Spencer Johnson as a replacement for injured Nathan Ellis has raised questions, with the Australian pacer still recovering from a back injury. Despite pulling out of the PSL and not playing competitive cricket recently, Johnson is gradually returning to bowling. His delayed arrival and fitness status highlight the growing challenge of finding replacements during IPL 2026.
NEW DELHI: The announcement of Spencer Johnson as a replacement for the injured Nathan Ellis for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has created quite an uproar. There had been a bit of mystery around Johnson’s signing as a replacement player. The 30-year-old was earlier signed by Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but pulled out of the tournament citing personal reasons.
A few days later, he joined the five-time IPL champions for Rs 1. 5 crore (US$160,000). Interestingly, Johnson’s PSL salary was higher than his IPL deal, as he was contracted with the Gladiators for approximately PKR 56 million (around ₹1.
87 crore or $200,000). A day after his official announcement, CSK on Wednesday posted on X that the left-arm quick will join the squad between April 21 and 23. The reason remains unknown.
TimesofIndia. com reached out to Kasi Viswanathan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CSK, but multiple calls went unanswered. Johnson has not played any competitive cricket since the last IPL, where he featured for Kolkata Knight Riders.