Michael Hussey, the batting coach for the Chennai Super Kings, is still optimistic that his team can qualify for the 2025 IPL playoffs. CSK dropped their fifth straight game on Friday, April 11, putting them on their worst run in IPL history. Because of this, they are now lingering in ninth place, just above Sunrisers Hyderabad in terms of net run rate.
Hussey thinks CSK can still make it through to secure that fourth slot by the end of the league season, though, with eight games remaining. Hussey declared, “We are certainly not putting the white flag up just yet,” following CSK’s crushing defeat against KKR. “All you need to do is get in to barely make it into fourth place. And momentum is key in a lengthy, major competition like the IPL.
“Now, there is no doubt that we do not now have any momentum. We haven’t been playing consistently good cricket. We undoubtedly accept it, raise our hands, and declare that it is currently the case. However, that does not imply that things cannot and will not improve rapidly. That’s why we’re still clinging to it and putting a lot of effort into it. And you never know, if we can reverse that momentum, gain some confidence, and record a couple victories, the confidence will increase.
“Coming into the playoffs, we might be able to squeeze ourselves into one of those final spots on the table. There is still a long way to go, and we must undoubtedly make changes. However, we continue to think we can accomplish it.
Hussey also reaffirmed that in order to achieve achievements, we must remain together as a team and refrain from enforcing drastic changes.
“This is where it’s a time that we’ve got to really stick tight together, keep working really hard, keep working on the things that we think are really important,” he said. There is a lot of discussion regarding our playing style and other related topics, but we don’t want to ask our gamers to play in a way that is entirely different from their natural style. They are here to play in the IPL because they are good at what they do, and I’m not the kind to try to change that.
“You know, things can change in a flash. I believe that things may worsen before they improve if we begin to disintegrate and alter things excessively, which hasn’t been a characteristic of CSK in the past.
In particular, CSK has come under fire for failing to give some of its younger batters opportunities and sticking to their core group of seasoned players. Hussey rejected the idea that some of those seasoned players were past their best years, pointing to earlier instances in which players like Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane batted at their peak during their final stays with the team.
“We have had players in the twilight of their career come and play at CSK in the past,” said Hussey. “Shane Watson comes to mind. Ajinkya Rahane comes to mind. Additionally, they have done a fantastic job with CSK. Therefore, I continue to believe that the players we have have a lot to offer us and are capable of playing some excellent cricket. Therefore, I don’t necessarily agree that they’re at the bottom of their game. I continue to believe that they can find their peak [form] and put up some outstanding performances.
“I mean, when it comes to blooding kids, we want to choose men who are prepared to perform as well. Some excellent players are waiting for their opportunity. There is no doubt about that. However, there are instances when I believe teams give up and decide to try the younger players instead since they can no longer win the event. Go ahead and try them. We’re still here, you know, to attempt to advance as far as we can in the competition.”
The former Australian batsman has urged CSK’s enormous fan base to support the team through these difficult times and is sure that head coach Stephen Fleming, captain MS Dhoni, and Ruturaj Gaikwad—who will remain with the team despite being ruled out—will keep it together.
“We still believe we’ve got the talent in the dressing room to turn this around,” he stated. “There is no doubt that it will require some hard work. However, we will discover who our actual supporters are—those who truly remain with us.
Since the very beginning, our Chennai Super Kings supporters have been nothing short of extraordinary. We hope they will continue to show up and help us. And because the fans have been with us through many of the good times, I know they will be in a lot of pain from this and want to make things better for them as much as for the team and each other. And now that things haven’t quite gone as planned, we hope they remain with us.”
India
