Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will start a new era in IPL 2027, with Stephen Fleming no longer being the head coach of the side. The former New Zealand captain parted ways with CSK earlier this year, bringing the curtains down on an iconic journey that stretched back to the inaugural IPL season.
During his time with the franchise, CSK won five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 titles, making Fleming a key part of their success.
Dinesh Karthik to become CSK head coach
Fleming has since taken charge of England's men's Test team as their new coach, leaving CSK with a big vacuum to fill ahead of IPL 2027. The franchise are looking for his successor, with several names in contention, including their former captain MS Dhoni.
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In an interaction with Sportstar, former Australia batter Matthew Hayden has named a perfect candidate to take CSK forward in the tournament. The former CSK legend believes that Dinesh Karthik would be perfect choice in the competition, as he possesses a local experience which is very important to lead the Chennai-based side.
“There are names that have been mentioned; one of them was Dinesh Karthik, who I think is probably ready to take on that kind of role. I think it’s important to have a local coach,"
“I know that a lot of franchises do go for international coaches, but I feel like the head coach role of a franchise as big as CSK should have that kind of local touch, even Chennai touch, which is why I thought Dinesh would be perfect," he added.
How Chennai Super Kings performed in IPL 2026?
The Chennai-based franchise endured a difficult campaign in the 2026 edition, as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side finished eighth in the standings. After a rocky start with three consecutive losses, the team found mid-season momentum by winning six of their next eight games to stay alive in the playoff hunt. However, a late three-game collapse - capped by a massive 89-run loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) kicked them out of the playoffs.
Sanju Samson led the batting lineup with 477 runs after his high-profile offseason trade, while speedster Anshul Kamboj emerged as the best bowler with 21 wickets.