When MS Dhoni is there, why look for more? Ashwin wants Thal as new head coach of CSK

Ravichandran Ashwin believes CSK’s search for a new head coach will be easy if they move on from Stephen Fleming. The spinner cheekily posted on X that with MS Dhoni already in the trenches, the franchise has no reason to look elsewhere.

Ashwin backs MS Dhoni to take over as head coach for CSK. (Image: Reuters)

Should Chennai Super Kings (CSK) decide to move on from Stephen Fleming as head coach, former player Ravichandran Ashwin believes their search for a new man for the job may not be as difficult as it may seem.

In a post on X, Ashwin cheekily suggested that MS Dhoni himself could be the man for the job. It’s no surprise given how he is the face of the franchise. He is the former captain who led them to five titles. He is not done playing in the IPL yet, but the current season has certainly raised speculations considering how he has not been able to play a single match this season due to injury.

Fleming, a former New Zealand captain, was given the head coaching job back in 2009 when he took over from Kepler Wessels. Even though they didn’t win the title in their first year, the wait ended the next year to put them on a winning streak with two consecutive titles. But their best period was from 2018-2023, when they won three titles in six years.

Why switch from Fleming?

CSK teams have seemed stale in recent times. While teams focus on performance and maximizing runs, Chennai seemed to be living in the early years of the IPL. Whether that comes down to the current head coach is another matter entirely.

Earlier it was Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda and Daryl Mitchell to name a few who struggled to adapt explosive modern template. Now he’s the captain Ruturaj Gaikwad who looked good not to be in touchthus adding the team to the battles for the highest points. They had some quality in bowling, with Noor Ahmad finishing second in the Purple Cap race and now Anshul Kamboj showing clear potential.

But it never felt like a proper, well-drilled bowling unit like we saw with Gujarat Titans or even Lucknow Super Giants. With tactical gaps emerging in both the batting and bowling units, the question of a change in leadership looms larger than ever, which has resulted in the franchise failing to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.

If Chennai decide to change direction in their coaching staff, Ashwin has made it clear that the most qualified prospect in world cricket is already sitting right in their dugout.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

23 May 2026 12:03 IST

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