Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a major blow ahead of the 19th edition of the tournament as their most expensive uncapped player, Prashant Veer, got a shoulder injury during Uttar Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy match against Jharkhand in Lucknow.
When Prashant Veer get injured?
The incident happened just before lunch in the 30th over. Veer dived to his right at mid-off to stop a hard shot played by Jharkhand batter Shikhar Mohan. Although he stopped the ball, he landed badly on his right shoulder and stayed down on the ground for a while, clearly in pain.
The team physio rushed in and used a pain-relief spray, but Veer was soon taken off the field and sent to the hospital for scans. When he came back, his arm was in a sling, and it looks unlikely that he will take any further part in the match.
Prashant Veer created history in IPL 2026 mini auction
The Chennai-based franchise spent a whopping price of ₹14.20 crore to get the services of Uttar Pradesh's Prashant Veer. There were talks that he would be Ravindra Jadeja's sucessor for the five-time champions as the 37-year-old all-rounder shifted to Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 19th edition of the cash-rich league. Notably, Prashant Veer becomes the most expensive uncapped player in IPL auction history.
ALSO READ: Harbhajan Singh highlights 'concern' in Team India despite thumping 48-run victory vs NZ in 1st T20I
Will Prashant Veer feature in IPL 2026?
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. With the IPL starting in less than two months, Chennai Super Kings will be worried about his fitness. Early reports suggest Veer has suffered a grade-2 tear, which may rule him out for at least three weeks.
Uttar Pradesh vs Jharkhand Day 1
Meanwhile, Jharkhand made a strong start with the bat. After being asked to bat first, they finished day one on 279 for 1. Opener Sharandeep Singh scored his second first-class century and remained unbeaten on 128. He was well supported by Shikhar Mohan, who made 78, and Aryaman Sen, who was not out on 64. With both teams still in the hunt for a place in the knockouts, this match is crucial for their campaign.
IPL 2026 schedule
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is scheduled to start from March 26 and the final will take place on May 31. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play the tournament opener.