Chennai Super Kings fans will be encouraged by the early signs shown by one of their latest recruits in the SA20 league. West Indies all-rounder Akeal Hosein produced a decisive all-round performance for Joburg Super Kings in their opening fixture against Pretoria Capitals at Centurion on Saturday, December 27, making an immediate impact on debut.
Playing his first game in the South African league, Hosein contributed a quickfire 22 off just 10 deliveries, an innings that came at a crucial stage of the first innings. He later followed it up with a tidy bowling spell, returning figures of 1/19 from his three overs as Joburg Super Kings went on to secure a 22-run victory.
Hosein’s late cameo with the bat proved vital in pushing Joburg Super Kings to a competitive total of 168/6. With the innings threatening to taper off, his clean hitting at the death added valuable runs and turned a par score into a challenging one. The Capitals were never quite able to recover from that late surge, despite starting their chase on a positive note.
The turning point came in the ninth over, when Hosein provided the breakthrough by removing Will Smeed. Bowling with control and intent, he produced a sharp delivery that beat the batter and crashed into the stumps, giving Joburg Super Kings their first wicket of the match and shifting the momentum firmly in their favour.
While Duan Jansen claimed the Player of the Match award for his four-wicket haul, Hosein’s contribution across both disciplines was equally significant in setting up the win. His ability to influence the game in multiple phases underlined his value as a genuine impact player.
ASHWIN IMPRESSED
Former India cricketer and Chennai Super Kings stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin was quick to praise Hosein’s performance. Sharing his thoughts on X, Ashwin wrote: “Akeal Hosein doing it all. Solid contribution with the bat, economical spells with the ball, slotting in seamlessly for JSK and helping build something beautiful. Impact player in every sense.”
Hosein was picked up by Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2026 auction for his base price of Rs 2 crore. With the franchise having moved on from long-serving all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who joined Rajasthan Royals for 14 crore, Hosein’s early showing suggests CSK may have found a smart, value-driven replacement capable of delivering impact across both facets of the game.
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