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Shock for Chennai Super Kings: Birthday boy Ambati Rayudu suffers hamstring injury, set to miss matches in IPL 2020

Shock for Chennai Super Kings as birthday boy Ambati Rayudu suffers hamstring injury, set to miss matches in IPL 2020. Rayudu is celebrating his 35th birthday on Wednesday.

Shock for Chennai Super Kings as birthday boy Ambati Rayudu suffers hamstring injury, set to miss matches in IPL 2020

Bengaluru, September 23: Chennai Super Kings will have to tide over another massive blow as in-form batsman Ambati Rayudu is set to miss a few games because of a hamstring injury.

Rayudu did not play for Chennai Super Kings in their second match against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday (September 23). His absence was felt in Chennai's chase of 217 and they were ended up 16 runs short. Ruturaj Gaikwad had replaced Rayudu in the XI and was dismissed for a first-ball duck.

Rayudu had made a stellar fifty in Chennai Super Kings' win over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 opener on Saturday (September 19). Incidentally, Rayudu celebrated his 35th birthday on Wednesday (September 23).

It may be recalled that Chennai Super Kings have already missed the services of two senior stars. Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh had withdrawn from the IPL 2020 citing personal reasons.

The Super Kings were also hit by positive Covid 19 cases prior to the IPL 2020 as 13 members, including pacer Deepak Chahar, were diagnosed with the dreaded virus. If Rayudu misses a few games and by sheer misfortune the entire tournament that will stretch the Chennai Super Kings for options in the IPL 2020.

Skipper MS Dhoni too was searching for form despite him making a 17-ball 29 that included three sixes in a row off Royals' pacer Tom Curran. Dhoni had said the 14-day quarantine has not really worked in favour of him and the team coming to the IPL 2020.

"With 217 on the board, we needed a very good start which was not the case. Steve (Smith) and (Sanju) Samson batted very well. We need to give credit to their bowlers. Once you've seen the first innings, you knew the lengths to bowl," Dhoni said. "Their spinners did well to bowl away from the batsman. Our spinners made the error of bowling too full. If we would've maybe restricted them to 200, it would've been a good game," he added.

In that context the absence of an experienced batsman like Rayudu will certainly hit Chennai Super Kings as he is exceptional against spinners and can also accelerate against pacers.

Story first published: Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 17:47 [IST]
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