Ahead of the IPL 2027 season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bombshell by parting ways with head coach Stephen Fleming. The franchise officially announced the end of Fleming's tenure, following a poor IPL 2026 season.
Fleming began his journey with CSK as a player in the inaugural IPL edition in 2008. Just a year later, in 2009, he transitioned to the head coach of the franchise and remained in the position until 2026. Under Fleming, CSK won five IPL titles and became one of the best franchises in the history of the league, apart from two Champions League T20 titles.
However, failing to qualify for the playoffs for three consecutive seasons from 2024, the franchise and Fleming decided to part ways mutually. Whoever comes in now will have massive shoes to fill, shouldering the responsibility of the team's legacy.
That said, here are three options that Chennai can consider for head coach ahead of IPL 2027.
An avid follower of the game and a tactical genius, Ravichandran Ashwin is well aware of the CSK set-up inside out, having spent multiple seasons with them as a player. He played 106 matches for Chennai in the IPL and bagged 97 wickets at an average of 25.39 and an economy rate of 6.68, and won multiple titles with them.
Ashwin is regarded as having one of the sharpest cricketing minds and could be a valuable asset to the coaching set-up, given his deep understanding of T20 cricket and mentoring abilities. Ashwin has actively served as the captain-coach and mentor for the Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
Being a local lad, his understanding of the home conditions would come as a huge plus, along with his knowledge of young local talent. Being associated with the franchise for a long time, Ashwin can ease into the role. Moreover, with CSK struggling in the spin department in recent times, a spin legend's presence would certainly come in handy.
Another former CSK cricketer, Michael Hussey, is already serving as the batting coach of the franchise in the IPL. He played 50 games for them and scored 1768 runs at an average of 42.10, also winning the Orane Cap in the 2013 season with them, scoring 733 runs from 17 games.
Following Fleming's departure, Hussey could be an ideal successor due to his seamless continuity with the dressing room culture, having been their batting coach since 2018. Having been in the setup, particularly in the last three seasons, Hussey would be well aware of what has gone wrong and areas where the team needs improvement.
As CSK aim to reshape their scouting and development systems, Hussey’s deep involvement in their talent identification processes would also help in having a clear and immediate blueprint to build a squad for the future during the transition phase.
Brendon McCullum was recently sacked as the Test coach of the England men's team. However, he will continue to coach them in white-ball cricket. With the IPL happening during the off-season when England usually does not play white-ball matches, McCullum would not have problems coaching in the IPL.
Having previously been a part of CSK as a player, McCullum would also have some familiarity and understanding of their culture. With the team having faced criticism of being 'old-school' in their approach under Fleming, McCullum can bring in a change and revolutionise the franchise with an aggressive approach.
The Kiwi legend has previous experience, having coached the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and guided them to the IPL 2021 final. His bazball approach could change Chennai's style of play for the better, bringing necessary amendments in the T20 format.
Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, live scores, IPL Prediction, match schedule, points table,Result & squad -CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS
Quick Links