Chennai, March 24 – Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson as a replacement for Nathan Ellis, who has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to a hamstring injury.
Earlier, Johnson had signed for the Quetta Gladiators for the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, but he withdrew just before the tournament. The news was officially announced on March 15, and Johnson cited personal reasons for leaving the PSL.
Johnson, who has played 13 international matches – 5 ODIs and 8 T20Is – for Australia, has 18 international wickets to his name. He has previously played for Gujarat Titans (GT) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.
"Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Spencer Johnson as a replacement for injured Nathan Ellis for the upcoming Tata Indian Premier League (IPL). Spencer Johnson will join CSK for INR 1.5 Crore as a replacement for Ellis," the official statement from IPL read.
Spencer Johnson, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the last season, played only 4 games throughout the campaign. He took 1 wicket, and his best figures were 1/42. During the 2024 IPL season, he played five matches for Gujarat Titans, taking four wickets with an economy rate of 9.4.
Johnson has a significant responsibility to replace Ellis, who has taken 19 wickets in 17 IPL matches, was bought by CSK for Rs 2 crore at the 2025 mega auction after four seasons with Punjab Kings, and was retained ahead of the 2026 season.
The 31-year-old, who was in good form for Australia in the past year, was expected to play a key role for the franchise after they released their star bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who will now play for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the upcoming season.
CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 30 when they face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. They will then host Punjab Kings on April 3 and Delhi Capitals on April 11 at their home ground, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, before traveling to Bengaluru to face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 5.
CSK finished last in the IPL 2025. They won only four out of the 14 matches and were the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race.