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Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has sharply questioned the job performance of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming, stating that it is time for the franchise to part ways with the former New Zealand captain. Fleming has been a cornerstone of the franchise since its inception, spending his first year as a player before transitioning into the head coach role. Under his long-standing leadership, CSK achieved monumental success, securing all five of their IPL trophies alongside two Champions League T20 titles.
However, the team's fortunes have plummeted recently, culminating in a disappointing eighth-place finish out of 10 teams in the IPL 2026 season after winning just 6 of their 14 matches. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led squad endured a highly volatile campaign; a promising mid-season surge of 6 wins in 8 matches was unfortunately bookended by two separate, debilitating three-match losing streaks at the start and end of the tournament.
This latest collapse marks the third consecutive year that CSK has failed to qualify for the IPL playoffs. Incidentally, this postseason drought coincides with Gaikwad's three seasons as full-time captain, coming immediately after the franchise won the IPL title the year before he took charge. Following three straight years of underperformance, both Fleming and Gaikwad are facing intense scrutiny, with public demands for a leadership overhaul growing rapidly.
CSK need to change things around: Sanjay Manjrekar
Reiterating his stance to Sportstar, Manjrekar emphasised that the franchise must finally move on from Fleming. He further argued that the heavy criticism currently hitting the camp shouldn't catch anyone off guard, noting that CSK's steady decline over the last few seasons was hardly a surprise.
"There are certain things that you have to do as the right thing. It's time that they did this. One of the things you have to do is change things around. It's not like the Titans, where they have had one bad year; CSK have been quiet for some years now. The reasons are very obvious. It's not like people are shocked that CSK have become this team or have not made it to the playoffs. It is very easy to see what has changed," Manjrekar said.
I don't know how much Stephen Fleming is contributing as coach: Manjrekar
Manjrekar also cast doubt on whether Stephen Fleming is still executing his coaching duties effectively, particularly raising questions about his tactical decision-making in recent seasons. He suggested that a fresh approach is needed on the field as well to revive the franchise's fortunes. To spark that turnaround, the former cricketer went a step further with a major leadership recommendation. Manjrekar proposed that the Chennai Super Kings should look to bring in Sanju Samson to take over the captaincy duties from Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"I think the leadership can easily go to Sanju Samson, who's done it before. Just set Ruturaj Gaikwad free and make him the batter that he used to be. I don't know how much Stephen Fleming is contributing as coach, because with Dhoni, everything was in his domain, and Fleming was a great guy to have around. He is a guy who knows his cricket; he is not just there for cosmetic reasons. But it is time to shake up a few things," he added.
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