Former Indian batter and commentator Kris Srikkanth has opened up on the Australian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Nathan Ellis, who was with the Chennai-based outfit in the last two IPL editions.
The Aussie pacer was with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) from 2021 to 2024, having a decent IPL record. Later, he was part of the CSK set-up in the last two seasons. While Ellis played only one game in IPL 2025, he was ruled out of the whole IPL 2026 season due to a hamstring injury.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth dismissed Ellis as a frontline pace bowling option for CSK in the forthcoming season. Ellis scalped 36 wickets in his last 29 T20 outings, displaying his brilliance.
“He’s not a great bowler. All he does is run in fast and bowl slowly. He has no track record in the IPL. Luckily for CSK, he got injured last season. He would have been smashed to all corners,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka.
Additionally, Srikkanth advised the CSK team management not to go behind England pacer Josh Tongue in the IPL 2027 mini-auction. The English pacer picked up seven wickets in four games in the recently concluded India T20I series at home.
“He will get smashed in Indian conditions. His express pace will only travel faster to the boundary in India. I won’t pick Josh Tongue for sure if I were CSK. There are 10,000 other better options and so many other youngsters available. England bowlers should not be picked at all. They are fit to bowl only on English pitches,” he added.
“Even Overton did well only after playing a couple of seasons of IPL. He was smashed in the first two seasons. There is enough talent in India itself. But they shouldn’t rush and pick some of these overseas guys,” he concluded.
