New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Australian pacer Spencer Johnson as a replacement for injured Nathan Ellis for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Ellis was ruled out of the season after suffering a recurrent hamstring injury earlier this month.
31-year-old Ellis sustained the injury while playing in Australia’s domestic one-day cup final on March 11. His injury came as a huge blow to CSK as it severely impacted their bowling combination. One of the best defensive bowlers in the world at present, Ellis was expected to be the death-overs specialist for CSK in IPL 2026.
CSK have signed Johnson and will be hoping the left-arm pacer steps up to play that role for the team in the upcoming season. Johnson has so far played for two IPL teams in his career. He made his debut for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 after being bought by the franchise for Rs 10 crore.
Johnson was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad in IPL 2025. However, he managed to play only four matches for the franchise, bagging just one wicket. The Aussie quick has so far played nine matches in his IPL career and has nine wickets to his name at an average of 56.80 and an economy of 10.39.