Who is Macneil Hadley Noronha? CSK's New Player as Ramakrishna Ghosh Replacement

Chennai Super Kings have roped in Macneil Hadley Noronha as a replacement for Ramakrishna Ghosh, who was ruld out of IPL 2026 after an injury.

CSK signed him as a replacement for injured seamer Ramakrishna Ghosh, who suffered a season-ending foot fracture on IPL debut. With CSK battling injuries but still in playoff contention, the 24-year-old's explosive batting and handy bowling make him a perfect fit.

The BCCI also confirmed on Wednesday (May 13) that Noronha has joined CSK for a fee of Rs 30 lakh.

Who is Macneil Hadley Noronha?

Born on September 23, 2001, in Dubai to Indian parents, Macneil Hadley Noronha spent most of his childhood in the UAE. At 15, he faced a pivotal choice: represent the UAE, where he was already a prodigy scoring over 1,700 runs in a year for his school and academy, or pursue a career in India. A match-winning century in a zonal tournament in Bengaluru sealed his decision. His family made a huge sacrifice: his mother relocated with him to Bengaluru for training while his father stayed behind in Dubai to run the family business.

A destructive right-handed top-order batter and right-arm off-break bowler, Noronha is a genuine all-rounder for Karnataka. He has represented the state in domestic cricket, played for Mangaluru Dragons and Gulbarga Mystics in the Maharaja Trophy, and earned a call-up to Karnataka's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy side. He was also named vice-captain of the Rest of India U-23 squad.

Noronha's breakout came in the 2024-25 Col CK Nayudu Trophy, where he topped the run charts with 1,037 runs in just eight innings, including two triple-centuries and a staggering 345-run knock. In the 2025 Maharaja Trophy title-winning campaign with Mangaluru Dragons, he slammed 253 runs at a strike-rate of 148.82 (with 19 sixes) and picked up 10 wickets with his off-spin, including a match-winning spell in the final.