New Delhi: “My 14 years of struggle came true today.” These were the words McNeil Hadley Noronha said to his coach Irfan Sait after getting the call. Chennai Super Kings. Sait says the most emotional he has ever seen was the Karnataka all-rounder, who struggled to contain himself after learning that he would be joining the CSK squad for the remaining matches. IPL 2026.As reported in this masthead, the five-time IPL champions signed Noronha as an injury replacement for Ramakrishna Ghosh earlier this week, with the move later confirmed via an official IPL statement.“Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have named a replacement for Ramakrishna Ghosh, who injured his right leg during the game against Mumbai Indians on May 3. He has been ruled out of the season. McNeil Noronha will join CSK for Rs 30 lakh as a replacement for Ghosh,” the IPL said in a release.

the call finally came

Noronha was at home when the call came around 4 pm. CSK informed him that he would have to join the team the next day. He immediately called Sait.“Ever since I started training him, it’s the first time I’ve seen him so emotional. It was years of hard work that finally resulted in Noronha. He was invited by four franchises – Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – for trials. He performed really well there and eventually, CSK picked him. I’m really happy for this kid. He has struggled a lot and worked hard for this day. Shreyas Gopal guided him very well,” SAT told TimesofIndia.com.Sait believes that Noronha’s biggest strength is the balance he brings as a cricketer.“He is a good-natured God-given cricketer. I would say he is an all-format player. He has always been a positive batsman. The beauty about him is that he doesn’t even look aggressive.” He has his own style of batting – very smooth and very calm – but he hits the ball very far. When he strikes the ball, he makes it look very comfortable,” he said.

A domestic season that changed everything

The 24-year-old had already built momentum through a strong domestic season. Noronha topped the run charts in the CK Nayudu Trophy with 1037 runs in eight matches and was later awarded the BCCI Naman Award.He also played a major role in Mangaluru Dragons’ Maharaja Trophy-winning campaign in 2025, scoring 253 runs at a strike rate of 148.82 and contributing 10 wickets.Those performances earned him a call in Karnataka’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team and the Rest of India Under-23 team.

from dubai to bangalore

Noronha spent most of her childhood in Dubai due to her father’s business commitments. He first started training under SAT at the age of 11, and often traveled to Bengaluru for short training stints at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC).Sait eventually advised the family to move to India permanently to aid his cricket development.Sait said, “At some point, since his roots are in Mangalore, I suggested to him that he should consider relocating as UAE cricket only goes up to the Under-19 level and there is not much structure beyond that. His father continued his business in Dubai, while his mother and sister moved to Bengaluru for their education and cricket.”

McNeil Hadley Noronha (Special Arrangement)

The move left the family split between the two countries for several years.“His parents have sacrificed a lot for the boy. Can you imagine? His father is in Dubai while his mother stayed here to take care of him.” His sister is now married, but both brother and sister were here with their mother, while she lived in Dubai, away from her husband. This was a huge sacrifice. Taking him to the stadium and bringing him back – he did everything. That woman did everything to make sure he was well taken care of and protected,” Sait said.“His CSK call-up should be dedicated to his parents. They have made them proud,” he said.

Yuvraj Singh connection

Although he is a right-handed batsman and off-spinner, Noronha has been a long-time fan of Yuvraj Singh.Sait recalled an incident in 2019, the day Yuvraj announced his retirement from international cricket. Before the semifinals at a private tournament, Noronha approached his coach with an unusual idea.“That day is something I will never forget. Yuvraj had announced his retirement and we had a semi-final match in a private tournament. Noronha came to me and said, ‘Sir, I want to pay tribute to my hero Yuvraj Singh.’ I asked him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘By hitting six sixes in one over.’ I told him, ‘No, don’t try that. This is a semi-final match. If you fail, the team will suffer and lose the match.

McNeil Hadley Noronha (Special Arrangement)

Noronha nevertheless went ahead with the plan.Sait said, “He hit six sixes in an over, won the team the match and took it to the final. We were successful in winning the final as well.”

CSK’s growing injury list

Noronha joins CSK at a time when injuries have heavily disrupted their season. Ramakrishna Ghosh was ruled out with a fractured foot after the game against Mumbai Indians on 2 May.The franchise has also dealt with injuries to Nathan Ellis, Dewald Brewis, Khalil Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre and Jamie Overton, while MS Dhoni is yet to play this season as he is recovering from a calf injury.