Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson was anxious about his return to top-flight cricket after a one-year layoff due to a back injury, but feels he’s in a better space after hitting speeds upwards of 140kph on his debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday.
Johnson, who did not play competitive cricket between IPL 2025 and IPL 2026, rushed Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis with his pace in Lucknow. In his opening over, he got the ball to duck back into the right-handed Inglis from over the wicket. He finished with figures of 4-0-39-1.
“Yeah, I think that [hitting speeds above 145kph] is definitely something to work towards,” Johnson said on the eve of CSK’s last home match of the season, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). “I think my pace was okay the other night, and hopefully the more games I play, the more comfortable I’ll feel.
“I feel like I’ve done a lot of bowling in the nets for the last two or three months, and to get out there, there was a bit of uncertainty. But now that I’ve got through that first game, I feel like there was some sort of rhythm there, and I feel like I’m really going to get better and faster. So hopefully it’s just the start.”
Before linking up with the CSK squad in late April as a replacement player for Nathan Ellis, Johnson worked with former Australia quick Ryan Harris to make adjustments to his action, which might prevent further back issues. After joining CSK, Johnson has been steadily building up his loads under bowling coach Eric Simons.
“Yeah, coming from Australia, there’s a lot of emphasis on your technique, and potentially why stress fractures can happen,” Johnson said. “So there’s a few things that crept into my game that I could iron out with Ryano back at home and really drill down my technique, and that was pretty simple in the end. There weren’t a lot of changes, just being a little bit straighter, running in a bit straighter and making sure that all the momentum is going in the right place and not putting too much stress on the back.
“I’m not sure if you saw it on TV the other night, but I was trying to smile and enjoy the game… It’s challenging, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world”
Spencer Johnson
“I feel like the work that Eric has done in training, he’s got me up to speed. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. But playing the other night, I wasn’t really sure how it was going to go, but feeling very backed by Flem, Eric and Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad).”
After spending a number of months off the field, Johnson wants to cherish every moment he’s on it, and embrace the pressure the IPL brings. With injury cutting Jamie Overton’s season short, the onus is on Johnson to give CSK’s attack a point of difference and help them stay in the race for the playoffs.
“I think there’s always going to be pressure coming into this tournament,” Johnson said. “It’s the best tournament in the world, and I’m playing for probably the best franchise in the world, so just being here is a privilege. I’m not sure if you saw it on TV the other night, but I was trying to smile and enjoy the game. Because it’s a game that we all love, and I love playing, and playing for CSK is an unbelievable experience. It’s challenging, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world.”
