Chennai Super Kings have already started their Indian Super League (IPL) 2022 pre-season camp in Surat but the defending champions are still awaiting the fitness updates of key players Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar. (More Cricket News)
While Ruturaj had a hand injury, Chahar had sustained a hamstring tear during recent India vs West Indies series.
"We are not aware of their current fitness status and won't be able to tell you when they would join the squad," CSK CEO Kashi Vishwanathan said on Sunday.
Ruturaj, 25, was the leading run-scorer in the IPL 2021 and was retained by the CSK ahead for the 2022 season. Chahar earned INR 14 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction with CSK spending big on the India pacer. But the 29-year-old is likely to miss the first phase of IPL, if not the full tournament.
And both the players currently recuperating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru.
All India players need to be at the NCA and get the clearance certificate after appearing in various fitness tests once the rehabilitation programme is complete.
"Obviously, the BCCI has told us that once they are match-fit, they would intimate us. They are at the NCA currently," Vishwanathan added.
CSK's available players have gathered in Surat and are having a camp at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, which hosts a lot of games for the Indian women's team.
The MS Dhoni-led CSK will start their IPL 2022 campaign with a clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in match 1 on March 26 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
