CSK is going through a rough patch in the IPL 2025. They suffered their fourth consecutive defeat at home in this match, and it is the third instance of losing four matches at home in a season. The last really poor performance at home was in 2012, but still, they reached the final that year. The CSK coach Stephen Fleming expressed all his frustration on injuries to key players and some others not firing after they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by five wickets. He believes CSK auctions have been great and put together a good squad as well as admits that, owing to all these struggles, the team has seen much change this season.
Fleming said this after the match, “Well, economically and mentally, exhausting the auction process can be at times. Yet I think we have a good squad, not far off.” He concentrated more on key injuries that have been difficult for sticking to a game plan. They’ve been shifting things around way too much, possibly looking for something that wasn’t there. He takes on responsibility in the sense that he says it is his job to reflect and then to figure things out.
On a brighter note, Ayush Mhatre took the place of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, scoring 30 runs off just 19 balls. Dewald Brevis made a remarkable debut hitting four sixes on his way to 42 runs in 25 balls even though he was dismissed by Kamindu Mendis.
Fleming feels the game hasn’t altered as much as people think it has. He wants, rather, to wait till the end of the season to see what adjustment CSK needs to make. There is already a shift in the team brought about by the efforts of Brevis and Mhatre stepping up. “I think the game has still retained its core. The organization’s chaotic with a few teams taking risks and going for boundaries, but we’ll see which teams come out on top as the tournament progresses,” he said.
He was satisfied with the performances of Brevis and Mhatre, saying that giving players such chances in the IPL is rare. He further said, “We will keep working hard in every game to find answers for next year.”
However, CSK stands right at the bottom of the points table with seven losses out of a total of nine matches played. The next is Punjab Kings (PBKS), which will be against them at home on April 30.