Imran Tahir is one of the favourites of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) loyalists. The South African wears his heart on his sleeve and his wicket celebrations are already the stuff of legends -- both have which have endeared him to the CSK fans. Few CSK players, like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, have been given nicknames by the franchise and its fans, and Tahir is among them as well. He goes by the name of 'Parasakthi Express'. While CSK let go of some big names, they decided to retain the South African spinner despite him playing just three matches in IPL 2020 in the UAE. On Friday, CSK shared a video of Tahir speaking about his return to IPL and some shots of him bowling in the nets. But what caught the fans' eye was the new hairdo he was sporting.
Chennai fans came in numbers to express their excitement at seeing Tahir back in the CSK yellow, while many others went gaga over his "lion" hair.
Despite the slow nature of pitches in the UAE, Tahir was selected to play just three times in IPL 2020. With the foreign quota being filled largely by the likes of Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo.
In the three matches that he played, Tahir could pick up just one wicket but bowled economically -- going at 6.90 runs per over.
This year as well, Tahir could see his playing time be limited to just a few matches. CSK bought Moeen Ali in the auction and in all probability, he will be a regular in the team thanks to his all-round abilities.
Sam Curran's magical knock against India in the final ODI, has all but assured him of a place in the playing XI while Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner and Jason Behrendorff will fight with Tahir for the remaining overseas slots.
Chennai Super Kings, who finished seventh in the IPL Points Table last year, begin their IPL 2021 campaign against last season's runners-up Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday.