MS Dhoni didn’t play a single game this season for Chennai Super Kings but made an appearance for the first time in the stadium on match days. Speaking at the press conference after CSK lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets and with one league match left they are looking at third straight season where they have failed to qualify to the playoffs.
Fleming and Dhoni have been part of the CSK franchise since the inception of IPL in 2008, and when asked how the duo are looking to the next season. The former New Zealand captain said he is yet to discuss with Dhoni about the next season. “No, we’re working through this one,” Fleming said.
Talking about his future at the CSK, Fleming said it is up to the management to decide. He added that Dhoni despite not playing a single match this season has had a big influence on the team.
“I’d say it’s a choice for the management,” Fleming said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about it, but MS 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’s been a big part, he hasn’t played, but he’s still had a big influence on the team.
“There’s a lot of good things we’ve done. We’ve introduced some new players that will be hopefully generation players for CSK. But I know we’re judged on results, that’s fair. So, yeah, it’s the management’s call, not mine.”
Fleming backed Ruturaj Gaikwad the skipper with CSK in a transition phase but as a batter the coach expected more from him this season. He scored 321 runs from 13 innings with just two half-centuries and a strike-rate below 145.
“I think Ruturaj can do more,” Fleming said. “He’s done more in the past. He’s been a fine player at the top. He hasn’t produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs (this season) that he’s done in his career. And that’s something that he will address.”
Fleming backed Gaikwad as CSK captain saying it will take a little bit of time for things to work with a new group of players.
“It’s a big transition from having one of the best captains (Dhoni) in the cricket scene running the franchise for such a long time to a new captain. So it’s going to take a little bit of time. But he’s doing a good job. He has a massive amount of respect for this group of players. And he’s learning all the time and putting that into play. So going forward, I have no doubt he’ll be a fine captain for this franchise,” Fleming added.
