IPL 2026: Why is Akeal Hosein not playing in CSK vs MI despite 4-wicket haul in reverse fixture at Wankhede Stadium? originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Akeal Hosein is not part of the CSK starting lineup against MI at Chepauk.
- Hossein picked up four wickets in the reverse fixture in Mumbai.
- MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first.
IPL 2026: Why is Akeal Hosein not playing in CSK vs MI
Chennai Super Kings fans were surprised to see their star performer Akeal Hosein on the impact bench when the starting lineup came out. It was more surprising as CSK were bowling first after Hardik Pandya chose to bat after winning the toss.
Everyone expected Hosein to start as the specialist spinner for CSK and Prashant Veer would have come off as the Impact sub in the second innings while batting. However, CSK trusted Veer in the lineup even after getting to bowl first.
It was even more surprising given Hosein’s current run of form and how he had picked up four wickets in the reserve fixture at Wankhede Stadium. Also, CSK took the field with three overseas players.
When asked about the decision to drop Hosein, CSK bowling coach Sridharan Sriram claimed that Akeal Hosein would have come in the second innings if CSK had batted first.
The team management trusted Prashant Veer’s ability to bowl left-arm spin in powerplay, however, it proved to be a costly spell.
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Akeal Hosein’s stats vs MI at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Akeal Hosein came on as an impact substitute against MI at the Wankhede Stadium and picked up four crucial wickets of Danish Malewar, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir. The West Indies international conceded just 17 runs and even bowled a maiden over.
| Overs | Maiden | Runs | Wickets | Econ. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 4.25 |
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The Cricket News Opinion: Akeal Hosein would have been useful against MI batting lineup
CSK management should have started with Akeal Hosein against MI, considering his current form in the IPL 2026 season. He was in sublime form and could have been extremely useful in the powerplay. Also, Suryakumar Yadav’s struggle against left-arm orthodox bowlers could have also been exploited.
Prashant Veer, whom CSK management had trusted for the second spin option after Noor Ahmed, failed to produce anything fruitful with the ball as he conceded 25 runs in 2 overs and did not scalp a wicket.
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