Stephen Fleming supported Ruturaj Gaikwad and said that it is not easy to take over the captaincy after Dhoni.
Stephen Fleming
IPL 2026 Stephen Fleming: Chennai Super Kings suffered a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026. Following the defeat, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming stated that Ruturaj Gaikwad needs to improve his captaincy. His statement made it clear that CSK's losses this season were due to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The 63rd match of the IPL was played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. Chennai won the toss and set a target of 180 runs. However, Hyderabad achieved this small target with one over to spare. Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming was deeply disappointed by the defeat. After the match, Fleming expressed his views on the team's performance. According to Fleming, Captain Gaikwad still needs significant improvement. CSK's hopes of reaching the IPL playoffs now appear dim.
Fleming trusts Ruturaj amid playoff hopes.
Chennai Super Kings are now in a do-or-die situation. The team must win its final league match against the Gujarat Titans on Thursday at all costs. However, victory alone will not be enough, as CSK will also have to depend on the results of other teams to reach the playoffs. 'Ruturaj is going through a phase of change.
Fleming said, "Ruturaj is going through a transitional phase. He's taking over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the best captains in cricket. So it will take some time." He added, "He's settling into his role well and commands a lot of respect among the players. He's constantly learning and implementing his skills well. So, there's no doubt he'll be a great leader for the franchise in the future."
Fleming is happy to bounce back after a poor start
Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn't made much of an impact with the bat this season. He has scored just two half-centuries in 13 matches and averages 29. Despite this, the team management remains confident in him. Fleming said, "We made a lot of changes to the team and we knew from the start of the season that we were a little behind other teams.
It would have been great to start well, but we had a poor start. We made a good comeback later, which is really satisfying. Fleming also acknowledged that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's presence in the dugout, despite his inability to take the field due to a calf injury, has been a constant motivator for the team.
