Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn said that the Chennai Super Kings need a change in their top leadership after a disastrous IPL 2026 campaign.
Steyn said that the first person on the chopping block should be former New Zealand captain and Head Coach Stephen Fleming. Steyn suggested that CSK needed a change of pace and a fresh and younger perspective that could help them restore their older days.
After finishing eighth on the points table in IPL 2026, they have failed to qualify for the playoffs for three IPL seasons in a row now.
CSK in IPL 2026
The big news about the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 was the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Recovering from a calf injury, Dhoni missed the starting matches of the team.
In the middle, it was reported that he was fully fit but did not intend to disrupt the existing team combination. And towards the end, he developed a thumb injury. Overall, he came to the ground for just 1 of CSK’s 14 matches.
In terms of their actual performance, the Super Kings faltered in crucial junctures and finished in eighth place at the points table. After starting their first three matches with losses, CSK managed to find a little bit of momentum in the middle stages.
CSK brushed off the three-match losing streak to win 6 of their next 8 matches and give themselves a real chance at making the playoffs. Ultimately, CSK lost each of their last three matches, and that was the end of their run.
“Chennai Super Kings need to have a look at their coaching staff” – Steyn
Steyn was speaking on his former teammate AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel and talked about how it might be the right time for the Chennai team to look at a fresher perspective.
Fleming has been the Super Kings’ Head Coach since 2009. He also presided over all five IPL trophies won by the franchise.
“The Super Kings team needs to have a look at their coaching staff. I’m saying what other people have said to me before. You look at CSK, and they’ve used Fleming in the IPL for all these years. They’ve used him at Texas Super Kings, they’ve used him at Johannesburg Super Kings, and in the last few years, they haven’t been very successful. They haven’t won anything,” Steyn said.
“Someone new should bring in a fresh idea” – Steyn
Steyn went on to talk about the possibility of moving on from Fleming and what would actually entail. He said that Fleming could be promoted to the Director of Cricket for the franchise.
“So, is the coaching style, or idea, or philosophy getting a little bit long in the tooth. Is it getting old? I don’t think so. I think Fleming is an incredible coach. I think he’s a great man manager. He probably needs a little bit of sharpening, and sometimes a change is as good as anything. Somebody fresh to come in and create something,” Steyn continued.
“Maybe change Flem [Stephen Fleming] from coach to the kind of role Moody has [Tom Moody is the Director of Cricket at LSG]. Bring in a new coach with a different idea, a different mindset, and a younger approach to the way the game is played,” Steyn added.
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