The defeat left CSK sixth in the points table with 12 points and only one league game left. The team\u2019s playoff qualification is now at the mercy of other results, even if it wins its last match, against Gujarat Titans.<\/p>\n
If the Super Kings fail to qualify for the playoffs, it would be their third season in a row of not being able to make it to the last-four stage since their title-winning campaign in 2023.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on yet another incomplete season, head coach Stephen Fleming felt the constant change in personnel put the team behind others.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a challenge. We knew coming into the season,\u00a0we were a little bit behind in terms of other teams having a year to bed down their plans. We had made a lot of changes halfway through the first year of the cycle, and then we made more changes going into this year,\u201d Fleming said.<\/p>\n
CSK began its season with three straight defeats,\u00a0and while the side did well to win games to keep its campaign alive, two consecutive defeats against Lucknow Super Giants and Hyderabad put a massive dent in its chances.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would have been great to have started well, but we started poorly. I was really proud of the recovery to get back and win, I think, six out of eight games. To get back into the mix was really satisfying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut performances under pressure in the last couple of games just haven\u2019t been quite up to it. We\u2019ve been in the fight, which has been good. If we\u2019d been a little bit more accurate, a little bit more positive, then things could have been different,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
On his own tenure, Fleming said it was the management\u2019s choice if he\u2019d return next season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know there\u2019s been a lot of talk about it, but MS (Dhoni) has been around a lot this year, which has been really important for the team, for a lot of young players, and continuity. So, he\u2019s been a big part; he hasn\u2019t played, but he\u2019s still had a big influence on the team. There are a lot of good things we\u2019ve done. We\u2019ve introduced some new players that will hopefully be next-generation players for CSK, but I know we are judged on results;\u00a0that\u2019s fair. So, yep, that\u2019s management\u2019s choice,\u201d Fleming reflected.<\/p>\n
Ruturaj Gaikwad was announced CSK captain after Dhoni stepped down from the role in 2024. However, the last couple of seasons have produced underwhelming results. But\u00a0Fleming was quick to back the skipper, saying Gaikwad would be a fine captain for the franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big transition from having one of the best captains in the cricket scene, running the franchise for such a long time, to a new captain. So, it\u2019s going to take a little bit of time. But he\u2019s doing a good job. He has a massive amount of respect for this group of players. And he\u2019s learning all the time and putting that into play.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Gaikwad, alongside a challenging season leading the side, his returns opening the batting have also been poor. Even though he has scored 321 runs \u2013 second-most among CSK batters \u2013 they have come at a strike rate of 120.67. Against SRH, he scored 15 off 21 balls without scoring a boundary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Rutu can do more. He\u2019s done more in the past. He\u2019s been a fine player at the top. He hasn\u2019t produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs that he\u2019s done in his career. And that\u2019s something that he will address,\u201d Fleming said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in conjunction with Urvil Patel, who\u2019s come in and is pretty free-spirited, so there is a combination aspect to it. But that is something that we will pore over. I thought today got difficult in terms of the pace of the pitch. So, getting through to a score of 180 was more than competitive,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Published on May 19, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n