There’s been a lot of buzz about MS Dhoni stepping back into his captain’s shoes in the 2025 IPL, especially with Ruturaj Gaikwad out. Stephen Fleming, who is the head coach of the Chennai Super Kings, made it clear that just because Dhoni is back in charge doesn’t mean success is guaranteed. He spoke ahead of a crucial away match against the Lucknow Super Giants and openly acknowledged the tough road ahead for the team if they want to make a real comeback. Fleming expressed his frustration with their last game, pointing out that the team didn’t show enough fire from the beginning.
“It’s a big challenge, no doubt about that. We need to break it down into simpler steps and keep pushing to improve in all areas. Once we do that, we can start competing better. The last game really disappointed me because we didn’t put up any fight, and that really stung,” he said in an interview with Cricbuzz.
Fleming pointed out that the team is still trying to figure out who they are and he wants them to reflect the strong brand they’ve built over the years. He stressed that players need to move past their fears and get back to playing their best cricket.
“There’s been a lot of soul-searching going on internally, and we’ve been working hard on what we need to do. It’s crucial that we deliver a performance that truly represents the pride of our franchise. There’s hurt we can turn into motivation, but it’s more about the players stepping up, finding their form, and shaking off any nervousness that comes up when you’re trying to perform,” he explained.
Fleming also talked about Dhoni’s impact on the team. He acknowledged that Dhoni will definitely play an important role but reminded everyone that it wouldn’t be realistic to expect him to fix everything on his own. The whole team needs to come together, especially with an important match coming up.
“Dhoni’s influence is always there, but he’s not a wizard with a magic wand who can wave it and suddenly everything changes. If he had that, he would have pulled it out long ago. It’s about all of us working hard, together with MS, to turn the situation around,” he added.
Both Fleming and Dhoni have been in tough situations during their careers that require a lot of energy, and Fleming emphasized how important it is to channel that energy in the right direction. “You can easily get caught up in things that don’t really matter, so we’ve been focusing on narrowing it down and making sure we’re putting our energy into what’s really important,” Fleming concluded.
