IPL 2018: 5 players who can replace Faf du Plessis if he is ruled out of IPL

Faf Du Plessis has had a pretty painful 2018 so far. He broke his finger during India's tour of South Africa and was not part of the South African team for the last 5 ODIs and T20s. He was then ruled out for a period of six weeks and was slated for a comeback for the series against Australia.

Despite making a comeback against Australia, he had a poor series and only upped his game in the final match. His knock came against all odds as he was hit on the same finger that he broke earlier this year.

Du Plessis battled through the pain-barrier and managed to score a century despite his injury but the situation could affect his participation in the upcoming IPL. CSK have already lost Mitchell Santner to an injury but have not sought for any replacements and might look at these players to replace Du Plessis if he is indeed ruled out of this year's IPL.

#5 Martin Guptill

Guptill can provide explosive starts to CSK

Martin Guptill is one of the biggest stars in the present New Zealand team and he plays for his country in all the formats of the game. Though he plays in all the three formats he is often considered as a specialist in the shorter formats of the game.

Guptill is an explosive player and hence he can be relied upon to provide quick starts to the Chennai side and would be an ideal partner for the more composed Murali Vijay. He also has a decent record in T20s for the New Zealand team as he has scored 2271 runs in 75 T20s at an impressive average of 34 and a strike rate of 133.

The opener's performance in IPL, however, has been below par at best as he has scored just 189 runs in 10 matches at a paltry average of 21. His weakness against spin is known to many and he might find it difficult to perform at Chepauk but he has the ability to overcome his shortcomings and it would be interesting to see if CSK actually go for him.

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#4 Joe Root

Root has the ability to tackle spin effectively

Joe Root is considered one part of the fab 4 of modern batsmen and is a consistent performer in Tests and ODIs. He is also a player who is extremely impressive in the longer formats of the game but his performance drops in the shortest format of the game.

Root is the captain of the England team in Tests and is a regular member of the England squad in ODIs and T20s as well. He has an impressive record in T20s for England as he has scored 743 runs in 25 matches at an impressive average of 39 and a strike rate of 129.

Root plays spin pretty well and is a great player for the rank turners in Chepauk. He also has the ability to play both the waiting game and the aggressive game. He will be a like for like replacement for Faf Du Plessis.

#3 Hashim Amla

Amla is a reliable player for any team in any format

Hashim Amla is one of the modern-day batting greats in Cricket at present. One of the best players in the Test and ODI formats, there is a misconception that Amla isn't the most aggressive of players when it comes to the T20s.

During the last edition of the IPL, Amla scored 420 runs in just 10 matches at a stupendous average of 60 and had 2 centuries to his name. He is often criticised for his strike rate but even that was at an incredible 146 during IPL 2017 which is comparable to Chris Gayle's strike rate.

Amla's numbers for the South African team in T20s are also exceptional. He has scored 1277 runs in 43 T20s at an impressive average of 35 and an excellent strike rate of 133, and has 8 half-centuries to his name.

Amla also has the ability to handle spin with ease which will be a great asset to have when playing in Chennai. He is the most underrated T20 player of this generation and his stint with CSK might just bring out the best in him and give him his much-needed recognition in the shortest format of the game.

#2 Dwayne Smith

Smith has been part of CSK before

Dwayne Smith is an all-rounder who has played for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in IPL. He made his debut in the 2012 edition and has played in the competition every year since then. However, his name wasn't even in the auction pool this year.

Smith has played for the Chennai side in 2014 and 2015 and has been successful at that as well. He has a decent record in the IPL, scoring 2103 runs in 76 matches at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 134.

The West Indian all-rounder has the ability to play the role of an opener as well as that of a finisher. In case CSK decide on opening with Vijay and Watson, Smith can be used as a lower-middle order batsman to complement Dhoni. He is a utility player and his experience of playing in Chepauk will come in handy

#1 Eoin Morgan

Morgan has played for three different teams in IPL

Eoin Morgan is the captain of the England team in the shorter format of the game and has been credited with the change in fortunes of the England cricket team in ODIs and T20s. The attacking attitude of Morgan has really helped the England team.

Morgan's performance in IPL, though, has been poor. He has scored just 854 runs in 52 matches at a paltry average of 21 and a strike rate of 121. His performance in the IPL has been poor because he has always been the marquee batsman of his IPL teams in the middle order and it has not allowed him to play freely.

Morgan's record in T20 Internationals for England is much better because he has the luxury of quality middle order batsmen in the England team and it allows him to play his game. His role in CSK, if selected, will be similar to his role for the England team and his inclusion would also allow Dhoni to bat higher and control the game better.