Irfan Pathan to miss Chennai Super King's first match with injury

Irfan Pathan seen arriving at Suresh Raina’s wedding

Irfan Pathan, who has been bought by CSK, was undergoing training for the past few days and has again sustained an injury. Well the time is certainly not running in favor of all rounder Irfan Pathan. Getting injuries appears to be a permanent feature for India discard Irfan Pathan as the Baroda all-rounder has once again been reported unfit for Chennai Super Kings, who are scheduled to take on Delhi Daredevils in their opening IPL encounter tomorrow.

The chief coach of CSK Stephen Fleming confirmed at the pre match media conference that the left-arm seamer will not be available for selection against Daredevils. What has become a matter of concern is that another pacer Andrew Tye is also carrying an injury. Pathan has previously been plagued various injuries ranging from hamstring, knee, calf muscle to state a few.

Experienced campaigners like Nehra, Hussey crucial to CSK: Fleming

When Fleming was asked about another veteran left-armer Ashish Nehra, he had a lot of good words about the former India player. He said, "We have a trend reviving older players. Nehra still has some life left. People focus on youth. But I like experience. Nehra and Hussey are key components in our side. The knowledge they can pass on is immense. The MS Dhoni and Raina factor will be crucial. I like their work and attitude."

Talking about the seamers in his team, Fleming emphasized on the need to rotate players. He said, "The pacers in our squad are quite well rested. Only Mohit Sharma has had a full campaign. It's the same with the overseas seamers. They didn't have a full campaign. But this being a demanding tournament, we need to rotate them and keep them fresh."

This happens to be Fleming's seventh year as CSK coach and as usual there is a bit of pressure before the first ball is bowled. He concluded, "The first game is always a challenge and it sets the tone. If you play well, it is a bonus."