Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Australian pacer Jason Behrendorff as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who had pulled out of the upcoming 14th season of the tournament earlier this month.
Behrendorff , a left-arm quick, has played in 11 ODIs and seven T20Is so far.
It will be Behrendorff’s second IPL stint as earlier in 2019, he had represented Mumbai Indians, where he played five matches, bagging as many wickets.
Earlier this month, Hazlewood had decided to pull out himself from the upcoming edition of the league due to bubble fatigue.
Hazlewood was set to depart for India along with other Australia’s IPL-bound players however, he decided to give this year’s IPL season a miss in order to spend some time with his family and be mentally fit for the long season ahead.
“It’s been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months. We’ve got a big winter ahead too. The West Indies is going to be a long tour, with Bangladesh T20 tour potentially thrown on the end of that,” Hazlewood was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au quoted.
“Then potentially the T20 World Cup leading into the Ashes, so it’s a big 12 months, as it always is with Australia, and I want to give myself the best chance to be mentally and physically ready for that. That’s the decision I’ve made, and it sits pretty well with me,” he added.
The MS Dhoni-led CSK will begin their IPL 2021 campaign against Delhi Capitals on April 10 in Mumbai.