Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming The team is facing mounting pressure after a disappointing start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, suffering three heavy defeats. The five-time champions have struggled to find consistency, and concerns have grown within the camp, especially after failing to qualify for the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025, the first time in franchise history that they missed consecutive seasons.
Ahead of their crucial fourth match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Fleming addressed the criticism and acknowledged the challenges faced by the team. He admitted that both he and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad faced difficulties during the IPL 2025 mega auction, admitting that some decisions did not go as per plan.
“The results decide that. It's fair. Criticism is fair when you don't perform well. It's part of the situation. Look, I've been coaching all year and also coaching in two other competitions.” [the SA20 and MLC]And I am auctioning a lot of players. So it's not like I just switch off and then come to IPL without thinking about where the game is going. In fact, it's the other way around,” Fleming said at the press conference, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
CSK, after finishing bottom of the table in 2025, decided to change their approach by investing in young talent during the auction. The franchise picked up emerging players like Karthik Sharma and Prashant Veer, spending Rs 14.2 crore on each during the mini-auction. The emphasis is not limited to just the IPL, the management is also working closely with the young players outside the tournament.
“I've probably never spent much time studying T20 cricket with players around the world, just to serve other teams who play in the IPL. So, yes, we were behind the pace last year, I'm the first one to raise my hand and admit that. And we've made a very rapid turnaround now and we're in a position where we've got some young players. I feel very confident about this group of players,” Fleming said.
“And with other teams, we haven't shown that this year because we've changed the team. One of the challenges is how many players we've changed on the team, so that means there's a bit of a settling process, whereas other teams have been together for a season. We understand that, so we're trying to speed up that process. We just need a little bit of confidence and a little bit of proof, and that comes from crossing the line. And we're not too far off. We got Tim David in the last game. Finally. The ball was not that accurate, but we still managed to score 210. So, look, it is a really good sign that we are working very hard and we know very well, and the criticism is fair, so, we just have to work hard and find a way to move forward, thanks.
During the five-day break before Saturday's match, Fleming and his coaching staff divided their attention between training sessions in Chepauk and their high-performance academy located on the outskirts of the city. Fleming highlighted the potential of the young players in the team and expressed confidence that they have the potential to succeed at the highest level. However, he also stressed the importance of giving these newcomers enough time to adapt to the demands of top-level cricket.
“It's probably a bit more patience. What I like is the skill level. It's incredible to see these guys expanding their capabilities and their lack of fear of results. But unfortunately, in cricket, especially batting, there are consequences. So it's trying to teach them a bit of awareness of the game without reducing their desire to hit sixes every ball,” Fleming said.
“So, look, the game we've talked about, the game has changed. But there are still coaching elements around the game that need to be respected. And the battle as we move forward is what is the balance between being too reckless and then being sensible. And you're seeing examples of both in this competition,” he concluded.
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