IPL 2026: ‘Spin combo worked quite well’ - Saba Karim praises Hosein-Noor duo for boosting CSK’s competitiveness

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim believes that Akeal Hosein’s inclusion has significantly strengthened Chennai Super Kings’ bowling attack in IPL 2026. According to Karim, CSK had been lacking an additional attacking option, and Hosein’s presence has filled that gap effectively.

He pointed out that the bowling unit now looks far more potent with Hosein complementing Noor Ahmad. In their recent clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 14, Hosein delivered a disciplined spell of 1/26 in four overs. Meanwhile, Noor Ahmad starred with figures of 3/21, playing a key role in CSK’s convincing 32-run victory.

"The spin combination worked quite well for them. They were looking at Noor Ahmad as an attacking option and he provided that. Good to see Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad bowling in tandem and picking up wickets. Everybody thought Akeal Hosein would come on to bowl in the powerplay. For him to come and bowl in the middle overs and still remain so effective was fascinating to watch,” said Karim on ESPNcricinfo.

"Noor Ahmad and the addition of Akeal Hosein has helped the CSK side become far more competitive. We have seen that in the last two games. Initially, without Akeal Hosein, they were one attacking bowler short," he added.

Former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch questioned the decision to promote Sarfaraz Khan ahead of Shivam Dube in the batting order. Finch explained that teams usually prefer to hold back their designated finishers to avoid exposing them too early in the innings, allowing them to play their role more effectively in the latter stages. In this case, the move didn’t quite pay off, with Sarfaraz scoring 23 off 18 balls, while Dube managed 13 runs from 12 deliveries.

"It was getting towards the part of the innings when you really want to accelerate. Dube's numbers against spin are extraordinary compared to pace. I found it really strange at Sarfaraz went in at No. 5. Teams actually get worried that one of their finishers will get out too early, so inevitably they hold them back too long,” said Finch.