New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs are hanging by the thinnest of threads, and after yet another painful defeat at home, long-time coach Stephen Fleming’s future has also come under scrutiny.CSK’s five-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chepauk on Monday left them needing a win against Gujarat Titans in their final league game, while also relying on several other results to go their way. As pressure mounted, Fleming acknowledged that his future with the franchise would be decided by management.“We have done a lot of good things. We have brought in some new players who will hopefully be generational players for CSK, but I know we are judged on results. So, this is an administrative call. Not mine,” Fleming said after the loss.Gaikwad is still learning the ropes.Fleming stood firmly behind captain Rutoraj Gaikwad, saying the 29-year-old is in a transition phase after taking over from MS Dhoni.“Having one of the best captains on the cricket scene running the franchise for such a long time is a big change for a new captain,” said Fleming. “He is doing well. He is well respected in this group and he is learning all the time. I have no doubt that he will be a great captain for this franchise.”Gaekwad’s own season has mirrored CSK’s struggles with just two half-centuries in 13 matches and an average of less than 30, as the team has failed to build momentum at key moments.Rebuilds, injuries and the muted impact of DhoniFleming admitted that CSK entered the season behind their rivals after a major squad overhaul. The franchise thrived on players like Mathisha Patherana, Rachan Ravindra and Dion Conway, while introducing younger names including Dewald Brews, Ayush Mahatre and Arul Patel. The addition of Sanju Samson also came at the cost of releasing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Karan.“It’s been a challenge,” Fleming said. “We had a bad start and weren’t accurate enough.” “I was really proud to recover, to get back in the mix. But injuries to key players stopped our momentum.”The coach also dismissed suggestions that Dhoni’s absence from the playing XI meant he had been cut from the team.“MS has been around a lot this year, which has been really important. He hasn’t played, but he still has a big impact on the team.”
