Head coach Stephen Fleming stated Chennai Super Kings are “realistic” about their place on this yr’s Indian Premier League, however asserted that the five-time champions will depart no stone unturned to find players for the next yr.
An out-of-sorts CSK suffered their sixth loss in eight matches after Mumbai Indians handed them a nine-wicket hammering in Mumbai on Sunday (April 20, 2025) to preserve the M.S. Dhoni-led aspect confined to the underside of the factors desk.
CSK fought their approach to 176/5 however it was not sufficient on a batting-friendly floor on which Rohit Sharma (76 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (68 not out) put the visiting bowlers to sword.
“It is hard when you are playing below par to get enthusiastic about staying in the competition, but that is what we must do,” Fleming informed the media.
Experiences from the previous
Fleming stated CSK think-tank will look to study from such experiences from the previous to flip round their fortunes. Fleming might need had in thoughts the turnaround his workforce effected in 2023 after they lifted the title after ending ninth in 2022.
“Nothing will be wasted during this tournament, we will look back at other tournaments that have not gone our way and some of the work we have done at the back end of the tournaments that set us up for wins the following year,” he said.
“We’re realistic about the position that we’re in, but there will be no stone unturned looking for players for next year, combinations for next year and we’ll see it as an opportunity,” he added.
Fleming continued, “(It is) not a great opportunity because we want to be at the pointy end of the competition but if it works out that there is no chance of us getting through (to the playoffs), we’ll certainly make the most of it.”
‘Lack in confidence’
MI batters showed the way by scoring 177 for one in 15.4 overs at a brisk rate, which was in complete contrast to CSK’s conservative approach for a large part of their innings. Fleming attributed it to “lack in confidence”.
“We’re not trying to play a conservative brand of cricket, we’re just lacking a little bit of confidence and we’re just changing personnel through one reason or another,” he stated.
CSK discovered their first boundary on the finish of the third over whereas batting first and it was due to debutant Ayush Mhatre’s aggressive 15-ball 32 that they had been ready to attain 48/1 within the energy play.
But Mhatre’s heroics however, CSK went into their shell when strain was utilized whilst Ravindra Jadeja (53 not out) and Shivam Dube (50) placed on 79 runs for the fourth wicket.
“They did feel that the ball was stopping which made it difficult, but we need to be more proactive all the way through,” Fleming stated about Jadeja and Dube’s stand which dragged CSK from 92/3 in 13 overs to 176/5 on the finish.
“We’re just trying to find a tempo that’s going to help us compete and at the moment, we might get it right in one area, but other areas are letting us down. We’re plugging holes in one spot, but it’s still leaking in others and that can often be the case when you’re just a little bit down on fortune.”
Fleming continued, “But we’ll just keep plugging away trying to get it right and if not, as I said, we’ll turn our attention to unearthing players and trying to free out for the rest of the season.”
Published – April 21, 2025 11:18 am IST
