Amidst Chennai Super Kings' IPL struggles, questions are being raised about whether coach Stephen Fleming's past success was primarily due to MS Dhoni's leadership.
Key Points
- Chennai Super Kings are struggling with three straight losses, raising questions about head coach Stephen Fleming's performance.
- Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh suggests Fleming's success was heavily reliant on MS Dhoni's captaincy.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad, the new CSK captain, is under pressure to score runs and lead the team effectively.
- CSK's performance has declined since Dhoni stepped down, with the team finishing 5th in 2024 and 10th in 2025.
- Fleming's ability to adapt to the modern, aggressive style of cricket is being questioned.
It’s been a rough start to the 2026 season for Chennai Super Kings and things only seem to be getting tougher.
Three straight losses have left the five-time champions stuck at the bottom of the table.
Head coach Stephen Fleming, who has been a constant at CSK since 2009, is now under the scanner. For years, he’s been part of one of the most successful partnerships in IPL history alongside Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Together, they built a powerhouse, guiding CSK to five titles.
But with Dhoni no longer leading the side, cracks are beginning to show and that’s sparked a fresh debate about how much of CSK’s success was driven by him.
Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh didn’t mince words while sharing his thoughts. He believes Fleming’s success is deeply tied to Dhoni’s captaincy, and that the team hasn’t looked the same since Ruturaj Gaikwad took over in 2024.
In a post on Instagram, Ramesh was blunt in his assessment. ‘Fleming has never had any success anywhere without Dhoni captaining the side. It's clear that Fleming's success hinges completely on Dhoni. With the way the game is evolving, just like how a player's fitness and fit are analyzed, the coach must be given the same treatment. Stephen Fleming doesn't seem to have the mindset to adapt to today's aggressive game. He seems to be five steps behind,’ Ramesh wrote.
Gaikwad hasn’t had it easy either. The young captain is still finding his feet, and his form with the bat hasn’t helped -- just 41 runs in three matches so far.
‘You don't need experience to smash fours and sixes, but you need experience to stop boundaries-which CSK's bowling lacks. To help himself as captain, Ruturaj must start scoring runs. By doing that and single-handedly winning matches for CSK, things can start to turn around for him as a leader,’ he added.
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CSK's Performance Decline
The numbers do add some weight to the criticism. Since taking charge, Gaikwad has managed only eight wins in over 22 matches under Fleming.
For a team that once thrived on consistency, the dip has been hard to ignore -- finishing 5th in 2024 and then dropping to 10th in 2025.
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