IPL 2026: Brevis is Out With Side Strain, Informs CSK Head Coach Fleming

Guwahati: If Mahendra Singh Dhoni's calf muscle injury wasn't enough, Chennai Super Kings have been dealt a second telling blow in the form of Dewald Brevis' side strain which will keep him out for the first few games, head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed here on Sunday. The Super Kings will face Rajasthan Royals here on Monday in their opening IPL game.

"Brevis is out. He had a side injury during training. So again, he is rehabbing," Fleming said when a specific question related to Brevis' injury was put forth.

The CSK had already announced that Dhoni will be out for at least two weeks if not more due to a calf muscle strain but Fleming said the former skipper will still be heavily involved in planning.

"It would be a game without him. But he's still heavily involved in the side. So, he's got obviously an injury that we're getting right, rehabbing. But his influence is still very strong. Hopefully it won't be too long (before he is back)," he said.

After a string of poor starts last season, Fleming underlined the value of having a good beginning to the tournament.

"And the first game really is the barometer of where you're at. So, the first game is always important. You want to get away to a good start.

"So that's really what the focus has been on. Once you start the tournament, it becomes a little bit more about recovery and the work in between," he said.

The addition of Sanju Samson, who is all set to replace Dhoni as CSK's face in the long run, is something that is exciting for one and all.

"So, there's excitement and enthusiasm around the squad. There's a little bit of a deviation from what we've done in the past, but there's now still a nice mix of experience.

"Obviously, the addition of Sanju Samson as well at the top is world class. So we enter this season in a pretty good space."

Last year, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury did affect the team' balance and Fleming hoped that the presence of a fit Gaikwad and a red-hot Samson would augur well for CSK.

"But Sanju is one player that's going to be exciting to watch. We've got a number of others as well. The other thing to note is that Gaikwad broke his arm here last time, so we didn't have him for this season. It's almost like getting a new player with him," he said.

Fleming admitted that having won five IPL titles with experienced players they miscalculated the flamboyance of youth and how the game had changed in terms of fearless approach.

"We were caught. We've had a lot of success with experienced players, and they're experienced players that have been brought up playing longer form of the game, so technique's very good, ability to work through situations.

"But the game now has almost gone away from that, and it's really just about fours and sixes, which in some ways is a bit of a shame, but you have to move with the times.

"A balance between bat and ball was always ideal, but we've certainly moved into that space, and I'm really excited about some of the youth that we will put on show. We have big enough squads to cover it, but it's not just us. In fact, we're not too bad," he detailed.