IPL 2021: Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran likely to miss opening encounter in UAE leg

The second leg of the IPL is all set to commence from September 19 in the UAE. Chennai Super Kings will battle it out against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians to resume the IPL 2021. However, ahead of the start of the tournament, CSK might have to deal with two big blows. The availability of the two-star players of the team, Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran is the reason behind the worry.

The South African batter Faf du Plessis is currently in the West Indies for the Caribbean Premier League. He has captained the Saint Lucia Kings in the tournament. However, he did not play the last two matches owing to a groin injury.

This has raised concerns about his fitness and availability for the initial games of the remainder of the IPL. However, a CSK official has stated that the team is confident about Faf du Plessis being available for the opening fixture.

“We are confident that Faf du Plessis will be ready to enter the field for the opening clash against the Mumbai Indians. Our medical team will assess him once he lands in the UAE for the IPL 2021 and we think the week rest might have helped him recover a lot. Faf along with other CSK stars Dwayne Bravo and Imran Tahir, who are playing in the CPL 2021, will land here on Thursday (September 16),” said a Super Kings official as reported by MyKhel.

The CSK official also added that the players coming in from the CPL are not needed to undergo the quarantine as it would be a bubble to bubble transfer.

CSK began its preparations in full swing for the second leg of IPL

CSK has been one of the first teams to reach the UAE to start their preparations. The players have started their training in full intensity in the last few weeks. While on the other hand, the English all-rounder Sam Curran has just reached the UAE for the tournament. But CSK will miss his services in the opening game.

Curran will have to undergo the six-day mandatory quarantine. Thus, he would not be able to take the charge of the field for the game against Mumbai Indians. Curran has been a pivotal aspect of the team and his contributions will be crucial for CSK to continue their good form in the second leg of the IPL.