Chennai Super Kings have roped in former India U19 pacer Akash Singh right ahead of their season 16 opener against Gujarat Titans on Friday, March 31 as the official replacement of their left-armer Mukesh Choudhary. Mukesh has been ruled out of the upcoming edition due to a back injury.Akash was impressive with his ability to handle the new ball for India during the U19 World Cup 2020 in South Africa. Bowling alongside Sushant Mishra and Kartik Tyagi, Akash picked up seven wickets in six matches at a remarkable economy rate of 3.81 and an average of 22.00.
Mukesh, who had a successful IPL debut last season with 16 wickets, will be replaced by Akash Singh, a left-arm pacer who was previously part of the Rajasthan Royals team. Akash Singh, who was also a member of India's Under-19 World Cup squad in 2020, has played a total of 9 T20 matches, 9 List A games, and 5 First-Class matches, taking 31 wickets in total. He will be joining CSK for a sum of INR 20 Lakh.Akash Singh is the second player to join CSK as a replacement after Sisanda Magala.South Africa pacer Sisanda Magala came in as a replacement for New Zealand bowler Kyle Jamieson for IPL 2023. Jamieson, who was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury, was bought by the franchise for INR 1 crore.
