‘We are judged by results’: Stephen Fleming breaks silence on his CSK future after yet another setback

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming, left, with MS Dhoni. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs are hanging by the thinnest of threads and the future of long-serving coach Stephen Fleming has also come under scrutiny after yet another painful defeat at home.Having lost by five wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chepauk on Monday, CSK needed a win against Gujarat Titans in their last league game while banking on a few more results. As the pressure mounted, Fleming conceded that his own future with the franchise would be decided by management. “We’ve done a lot of good things. We’ve introduced some new players who will hopefully be generational players for CSK, but I know we’re judged by results. So that’s the management’s call. Not mine,” Fleming said after the defeat.Gaikwad is still learning the ropesFleming stood firmly behind captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and said the 29-year-old remains in a transitional phase after taking over from MS Dhoni.“It’s a big transition from having one of the best captains in cricket to lead the franchise for such a long time to a new captain,” said Fleming. “He’s doing a good job. He’s got a lot of respect in this group and he’s always learning. I have no doubt he’ll be a great captain for this franchise.”Gaikwad’s own season mirrored CSK’s struggles, with just two fifties in 13 matches and an average of under 30 as the team failed to build momentum at key moments.The rebuild, injuries and Dhoni’s quiet influenceFleming admitted that CSK entered the season behind their rivals after a major overhaul of the squad. The franchise has moved on from players like Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway while introducing younger names including Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel. The addition of Sanju Samson also came at the cost of releasing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

Will Chennai Super Kings make it to IPL 2026 playoffs?

“It was a challenge. We got off to a bad start and just weren’t accurate enough,” Fleming said. “I was really proud of the recovery, getting back into the mix. But injuries to key players stopped our momentum.”The coach also dismissed suggestions that Dhoni’s absence from the playing eleven meant he was cut from the side.“There was a lot of MS this year, which was really important. He didn’t play, but he still has a big impact on the team.”