Chennai Super Kings Coach Stephen Fleming Weighs in on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Captaincy
As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face a third straight season without making the playoffs, coach Stephen Fleming has expressed his support for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, despite the team’s struggles in IPL 2026.
Fleming acknowledged that Gaikwad has been off the pace with the bat, saying, “I think Ruturaj can do more. He’s done more in the past. He’s been a fine player at the top. He hasn’t produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs [this season] that he’s done in his career. And that’s something that he will address.”
The Challenge of Transitioning from MS Dhoni‘s Leadership
Fleming also recognized the challenges of transitioning from MS Dhoni’s leadership, saying, “It’s a big transition from having one of the best captains [MS Dhoni] in the cricket scene running the franchise for such a long time to a new captain. So it’s going to take a little bit of time. But he’s doing a good job. He has a massive amount of respect for this group of players. And he’s learning all the time and putting that into play. So going forward, I have no doubt he’ll be a fine captain for this franchise.”
When asked about Dhoni’s role in the team, Fleming said, “No, we’re working through this one” when asked if he had spoken to the 44-year-old about next season.
Fleming’s Future with the Team
Fleming accepted that CSK hadn’t done well this season and that his own future was up to the team’s owners. “I’d say it’s a choice for the management,” Fleming said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about it, but MS has been around a lot this year, which has been really important for the team, for a lot of young players and continuity. So he’s been a big part, he hasn’t played, but he’s still had a big influence on the team. There’s a lot of good things we’ve done. We’ve introduced some new players that will be hopefully generation players for CSK. But I know we’re judged on results, that’s fair. So, yeah, it’s the management’s call, not mine.”
