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Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faced a major blow as they are likely to lose the services of their star overseas recruit Devon Conway. The New Zealand opener injured his left thumb during the T20I series against Australia and will undergo surgery which is likely to rule him out for half of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
CSK are yet to make any official announcement about Conway. They may look for his replacement if he is not available for a better part of the season. Luckily, they can go for an overseas player with a base price as high as Rs 2 crore. Conway was picked for Rs 1 crore whereas CSK have the same amount left in the purse after spending big in the mini-auction for Daryl Mitchell.
Here are five overseas players who can replace Conway in CSK’s squad for IPL 2024.
Leus du Plooy
The South African batter Leus du Plooy played for Johannesburg Super Kings in SA20 2024. The left-handed batter scored 377 runs from 11 innings at an average of 37.70 including three half-centuries in the season. His strike rate was an impressive 159.07. His presence will help CSK retain the left-right combination at the top as well.
Phil Salt
Played for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the previous season, the English wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt was left surprised as he wasn’t picked by any franchise in the mini-auction. He smashed two centuries against West Indies to make a statement. Salt has a strike rate of 153.41 in T20s. In the previous season, he scored 218 runs from nine games after initial hiccups. He scored two half-centuries and his strike rate was 163.91.
Josh Inglis
Australia’s Josh Inglis is another wicketkeeper-batter on the list. Inglis has a strike rate of 147 in the format. He scored a century against India in the T20I series after ODI World Cup 2023. The century came just before the mini-auction. He has scored 2,924 runs from 113 innings at an average of 30.45 including three centuries and 17 fifties.
Reeza Hendricks
South Africa's Reeza Hendricks is yet to make his IPL debut. Hendricks has a fantastic record in T20Is. From 20 games, he has scored 639 runs at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 165.97. He has two centuries and as many fifties to his name. Overall, he has scored over 5,000 T20 runs. If not the first-choice opener, he can be a back-up opener if CSK go with Mitchell or Rachin Ravindra alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.
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Dawid Malan
England’s Dawid Malan is another batter who hasn’t got his due in IPL. He made just one appearance for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2021 and was never picked again. His presence will also help CSK maintain the left-right combination at the top. He has scored 8,981 runs from 330 games at an average of 32.53 including five centuries and 60 half-centuries.
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