Khaleel Ahmed, a key pacer for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has been ruled out for the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a quadriceps injury sustained during a match against Kolkata Knight Riders. The injury occurred while he was delivering the final ball of his spell, leading to immediate pain and his exit from the game. Initially thought to be cramps, further assessments revealed a serious injury requiring over two months of recovery, thus sidelining him after just five matches this season. CSK is already grappling with injury issues, having lost Nathan Ellis, and his replacement, Spencer Johnson, is also injured. Additionally, team captain MS Dhoni is not match-fit due to a calf strain, although he is participating in light batting practice. The CSK management, including CEO Kasi Viswanathan, will consult with Gaikwad and head coach Stephen Fleming to determine Khaleel's replacement.