The former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh criticises Stephen Fleming for being heavily reliant on the leadership of MS Dhoni for success. The Chennai Super Kings have played just 8 games without Dhoni since the start of the IPL, and they have lost 7 out of them. The inefficiency of Stephen Fleming has come under the spotlight as Sadagoppamn Ramesh claims that his success is dependent on the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
The Chennai Super Kings are a sinking ship at the moment, and even the latest recruit, Sanju Samson, hasn't been able to save the club. The CSK Head Coach, Stephen Fleming, has always emphasised the role of MS Dhoni at the club as both player and mentor. In the absence of MS Dhoni behind the stumps for the franchise, Stephen Fleming seems to be incapable of handling the side.
Dhoni’s Absence Raises Questions Over Fleming’s Leadership
The five-time IPL-winning franchise has been subject to criticism from all angles, as the fans and the management are disappointed with the start they have made. The experts have begun to question the picks at the auction for CSK and also the decisions regarding the team selection. But the obvious and most appropriate conclusion that everybody infers is the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. As we all know, MS Dhoni is a genius behind the stumps, and he can win matches with almost any kind of team. MS Dhoni has undoubtedly been one of the most instrumental reasons behind their success, and that brings us to the question regarding the role of Stephen Fleming.
“Fleming has never had any success anywhere without Dhoni captaining the side. It's clear that Fleming's success hinges completely on Dhoni. With the way the game is evolving, just like how a player's fit is analysed, the coach must be given the same treatment,” Ramesh said.
Stephen Fleming took charge of the duty as Head Coach for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2009 IPL season. Stephen Fleming has a wonderful record with the franchise, as he has won 5 titles with them. But without MS Dhoni, Fleming has struggled, as the only win of the franchise without Dhoni came in 2010. Since then, the winning equation has been simple for CSK, as only with Dhoni in the squad does CSK have a chance of winning. The reflexive response to the club's failure has been to turn to Dhoni, as it was evident in the 2022 season, when Ravindra Jadeja was stripped of his captaincy mid-season. Following the three consecutive defeats this season, reports were hinting at the return of Dhoni as captain for the side.
With just 8 matches at hand to assess the quality of Stephen Fleming as a coach, it may prove to be a very small sample size. However, this CSK side is a power-packed,d flexible unit that has the capability of winning games on its own, but the inability of Stephen Fleming to guide the side is what raises questions regarding his role in the side.
