The Macneil Hadley Noronha story: CSK’s 4pm challenge, UAE roots and tribute to Yuvraj Singh with 6 sixes during

NEW DELHI: “14 years of my struggle has come true today.” These were Macneil Hadley Noronha’s words to his coach Irfan Sait after he received a call from Chennai Super Kings. Sait says it was the most emotional thing he saw the Karnataka all-rounder struggle to collect when he learned he would be joining the CSK team for the remainder of the 2026 IPL.The five-time IPL champions signed Noronha as an injury replacement for Ramakrishna Ghosh earlier this week, according to this tabloid, a move later confirmed by an official IPL statement.“Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have picked a player to replace Ramakrishna Ghosh, who injured his right leg during a match against Mumbai Indians on May 3. He has been ruled out for the season. Macneil Noronha will join CSK for INR 30 lakh as a replacement for Ghosh,” the IPL said in a release.

The call that finally arrived

Noronha was at home when the call came around 4:00 p.m. CSK informed him that he would have to join the team the next day. He immediately called Saito.“For the first time since I started coaching him, I have seen him this emotional. It was years of hard work that finally paid off for Noronh. He was invited by four franchises – Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – for trials. He did really well there and was finally picked by CSK. I am really happy. Shreyas worked really hard for this Gopalid. He guided him very well,” Sait told TimesofIndia.com.Sait believes Noronha’s greatest strength lies in the balance he brings as a cricketer.“He is a God-given cricketer with a good nature. I would say he is an all-format player. He has always been a positive batsman. The beautiful thing about him is that he doesn’t even look aggressive. He has his own style of batting – so relaxed and so calm – but he hits the ball a long, long way. When he hits the ball, it looks so effortless,” he said.

The home season that changed everything

The 24-year-old has already gone from strength to strength in 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 while contributing 10 wickets.These performances earned him opportunities with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team of Karnataka and the Rest of India Under-23 team.

From Dubai to Bengaluru

Noronha spent most of his childhood in Dubai due to his father’s business commitments. He first began training under Sait at the age of 11, often traveling to Bengaluru for short training stints at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC).Sait eventually advised the family to move to India permanently to support his cricketing development.“At some point, because he has roots in Mangalore, I suggested to him that he should consider a transfer as cricket in the UAE only goes 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 education and cricket,” Sait said.

Macneil Hadley Noronha (special arrangement)

The move required the family to split between the two countries for several years.“His parents sacrificed a lot for that boy. Can you imagine? His father is in Dubai while his mother stayed here and looked after him. His sister is married now, but both his brother and sister were here with their mother when she lived away from her husband in Dubai. It was a huge sacrifice. To take him to the stadium and bring him back – she did everything. That lady did everything to make sure he was well looked after and well taken care of.”“His call-up to CSK should be dedicated to his parents. He made them proud,” he added.

Yuvraj Singh connection

Although a right-handed batsman and an off-spinner, Noronha has long admired Yuvraj Singh.Sait recalled the incident in 2019, the day Yuvraj announced his retirement from international cricket. Before the semi-finals at a private tournament, Noronha approached his coach with an unusual idea.“That day is something I will never forget. Yuvraj 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 a shootout.” I told him, ‘No, don’t try that. It is a semi-final match. If you fail, the team will suffer and lose the match.”

Macneil Hadley Noronha (special arrangement)

Noronha went ahead with the plan anyway.“He smashed six sixes in the over, won the match for the team and took them to the final. We also won the final,” Sait said.

CSK’s injury list is growing

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