‘We’re judged on results’: Stephen Fleming breaks silence on his CSK future

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of reaching the IPL 2026 playoffs are hanging by the thinnest of threads, and aft different achy decision astatine home, adjacent the aboriginal of long-time manager Stephen Fleming has travel nether scrutiny.CSK’s five-wicket nonaccomplishment to Sunrisers Hyderabad astatine Chepauk connected Monday near them needing a triumph against Gujarat Titans successful their last league game, portion besides relying connected respective different results to spell their way. As unit mounted, Fleming admitted his ain aboriginal with the franchise would beryllium decided by management.

“There’s a batch of bully things we’ve done. We’ve introduced immoderate caller players that volition beryllium hopefully procreation players for CSK, but I cognize we’re judged connected results.

So, that’s a absorption call. Not mine,” Fleming said aft the defeat.Gaikwad inactive learning the ropesFleming stood firmly down skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, saying the 29-year-old remains successful a modulation signifier aft taking implicit from MS Dhoni.“It’s a large modulation from having 1 of the champion captains astatine the cricket country moving the franchise for specified a agelong clip to a caller captain,” Fleming said. “He’s doing a bully job. He has monolithic respect successful this radical and he’s learning each the time.

I’ve nary uncertainty he’ll beryllium a good skipper for this franchise.”Gaikwad’s ain play has mirrored CSK’s struggles, with conscionable 2 fifties successful 13 matches and an mean beneath 30, arsenic the squad has failed to physique momentum astatine cardinal moments.Rebuild, injuries and Dhoni’s soundless influenceFleming admitted CSK entered the play down rivals aft a large squad overhaul. The franchise moved connected from players similar Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, portion introducing younger names including Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel.

The summation of Sanju Samson besides came astatine the outgo of releasing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.“It’s been a challenge. We started poorly and conscionable haven’t been close enough,” Fleming said. “I was truly arrogant of the recovery, to get backmost into the mix. But injuries to cardinal players stopped our momentum.”The manager besides dismissed suggestions that Dhoni’s lack from the playing XI meant helium was detached from the side.“MS has been astir a batch this year, which has been truly important. He hasn’t played, but he’s inactive had a large power connected the team.”