For nearly two decades, the dugout at the MA Chidambaram Stadium was defined by a silent, symbiotic language between MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming. This partnership stood out as the most stable in the volatile world of the Indian Premier League. However, as the 2026 season unfolds, this relationship has fundamentally shifted. With the injured Dhoni taking a definitive backseat and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) languishing after three consecutive defeats, the spotlight has turned sharply on the man in the dugout.

The questions are no longer whispers; they are loud. Can Stephen Fleming win without the tactical security blanket of MS Dhoni?

The pressure ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Delhi Capitals has intensified following a comment from last year. Delhi coach Hemang Badani publicly questioned Fleming’s legacy, suggesting the New Zealander’s success was closely tied to Dhoni’s on-field brilliance. Badani pointed out that while Fleming is an IPL legend, he has not replicated that trophy-laden success in other leagues, implying that without Thala, the trophy cabinet is bare.

Fleming, usually composed, appears acutely aware of this narrative. When asked if he received enough credit for the five trophies, he responded with a mix of humility and a firm defence of his coaching philosophy.

“No, it’s not really. It’s actually purely the players,” Fleming said in Chennai on the eve of their game against the Capitals.

“For me, it just gives us another year of coaching. And it’s always been the case. The players do it. The coaching off the field is really important, but the performances on the field win titles. I’ve worked with one of the greatest captains of all time, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to do that as a coach. So, look, it’s not lost on me, and I’m proud of the results, but it’s not something that I crave or desire to get accolades for.”

In a league where coaches are often sacked after one bad month, Fleming’s 18-year tenure is an anomaly. He credits this longevity to a simple metric: “11 finals and 5 trophies.”

“I guess, I’m very grateful, it is unusual. But we have been able to operate at a consistent level and that has allowed the franchise to put faith in the coaching group. So, the familiarity of what we think is important. We’re doing our job well, and the owners are a judge of that, and the public is a judge of results,” he added.

“It’s somewhere in the middle of being consistent enough to justify still doing it. And when you have a really inconsistent competition, where you lose a team after three years, sometimes having that consistency can help.

“All I can say is we’re lucky to have got this point, but we’re very proud that we’ve achieved what we’ve achieved, but not satisfied. So, there’s that desire to keep adding and making sure we’re doing a good job, or we move on,” Fleming added.

IS FLEMING FALLING OUT OF TOUCH?

However, the consistency he values is being tested by a 2026 season that feels alien to the CSK faithful. The team, currently in a transition period, has struggled to adapt to a post-2026 auction world. The ‘Dad’s Army’ approach that served them well for years, relying on veteran experience and spin-heavy tactics, has been forced into a painful but necessary evolution.

This year, CSK have experienced life without Dhoni on the field. Their former captain, nursing a knee injury, has missed their first three matches and is likely to be unavailable for Saturday’s home game.

Fleming acknowledged the challenges of integrating new players. “One of the challenges is the number of players we’ve changed in the squad means there is a little bit of a settling process where other teams have been together for a season. We understand that, so we’re trying to accelerate that process.

“And we just need a little bit of confidence and a bit of evidence, and that comes from getting across the line. And we haven’t been too far off. So, look, it’s a really good sign that we’re working very hard and we’re well aware, I’m well aware, and the criticism is appropriate. So, we just have to work harder and find a way forward. But I do feel in touch with the game, thank you,” he said.

NOT PREPARING WELL?

Responding to claims that he is ‘out of touch,’ Fleming pointed to his involvement in global leagues such as SA20 and MLC, emphasising that he is continuously learning and adapting.

“Criticism is fair when you don’t do well. That’s part of the position,” he said.

“Look, I’m coaching throughout the year in two other competitions (SA20 and MLC), and I’m doing auctions across a lot of players. So it’s not that I just turn off and then come to the IPL without an idea of where the game is going. In fact, it’s the other way. I probably never spent more time studying T20 cricket around players around the world, just to serve the other teams as well, which feeds into the IPL.”

CSK invested nearly Rs 30 crore in two uncapped players for the first time: wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma and left-arm spinner Prashant Veer. However, the team has come under early pressure, struggling to achieve the right results.

Perhaps the most pointed criticism concerns Fleming’s tactical approach, specifically regarding the ‘Impact Player’ rule and the changing nature of the Chepauk pitch. The fortress is no longer spin-friendly; it has become, in Fleming’s words, “pretty vanilla.”

“We’ve been very open about that, that we weren’t accurate enough with the option,” Fleming admitted about the Impact Player rule. “For so many years we had a method and it made it very easy to pick a type of player because it was slower, spin heavy… You look now, it’s pretty vanilla. So you really have to change your game plan.”

As Delhi Capitals arrive in Chennai this Saturday, the subplots are compelling. It will be Badani versus Fleming, as the man in the dugout faces the heat without Dhoni in the XI. CSK are entering the game on the back of three losses, rooted firmly at the bottom of the 10-team IPL 2026 points table.

For CSK, moving on was once unthinkable. But if a fourth straight loss arrives on Saturday, the conversation about life after the Fleming-Dhoni era may move from a whisper to a roar.

– Ends