According to Stephen Fleming, “it’s probably fitting that we’re at the bottom,” during the news conference held after the game.
The Chennai Super Kings team has experienced a harsh awakening in the 2025 season. They have been the pinnacle of reliability ever since the Indian Premier League began. Five championships, multiple playoff appearances, and—most astonishing of all—never two consecutive seasons without CSK reaching the championship game. They were among the first teams ousted in the 2025 season, ending this run.
This year, CSK may end up with the wooden spoon for the first time in IPL history as a result of the disappointments of 2024. After the squad lost to RR by six wickets in Delhi, head coach Stephen Fleming didn’t hold back.
“You can’t avoid it because we’ve played that kind of cricket. However, our goal is to simply perform better on the paddock, showcasing the team’s capabilities.”
There has been scholarly interest in CSK’s games since they were eliminated almost two weeks ago. As the franchise attempts to look ahead, they have since blooded the young guns with an eye towards the upcoming season. Despite being eliminated from the playoff race a long time ago, Fleming maintained that the club was not lacking in attention, and winning does become a crucial component of team spirit.
“Obviously, we don’t enjoy being at the bottom of the points table, but it doesn’t serve as motivation. All we hoped for was a strong performance. Our goal is to connect a few performances. Two strong performances were the goal. It will be a nice one to finish now.
This season, CSK’s hitting and strategy have been their main issues. They were even seeing chaotic PowerPlays and a general lack of focus at all phases prior to the recent juvenile infiltration. The pace of their innings has changed noticeably, but it’s still clear that the team has to plug some holes in their hitting order. Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis, for example, have showed great promise for the future, but they require more encouragement from the others.
Regarding the batting order, the think tank seemed to be confused as well. Ravindra Jadeja, who was the team’s designated finisher for years, is now the number four, a position he has hardly ever held outside of the 2023 campaign. Ravichandran Ashwin entered the game at 4 p.m. on Tuesday against RR as the management attempted to use the powerplay. To be fair to him, the 38-year-old did deliver a few lustful strikes with the pitch up in that capacity, which he had previously played at RR. However, this batting order unpredictability represents a total 180-degree shift from CSK’s often reliable strategies.
Yes, we are constantly working to rework our order because it isn’t perfect right now. In order to address every aspect, we have some solid plans for next year. However, the absence of runs at the top this year has prevented that from happening. Depending on how well we start, a lot of the batting positions are decided, after which players can move into line. That is why we haven’t had it. Therefore, instead of building strong innings, we’ve actually simply been patching innings up.”
Although CSK’s batting mistakes are widely known, they have also experienced bowling problems, with their typical suspects failing to produce. One of the constants, Matheesha Pathirana, has had a forgettable season, scoring more than 10 runs per over. The altered bowling action hasn’t yet matched his plans, and he hasn’t been in control. Pathirana’s lean patch has been a major setback for MS Dhoni’s team in the 2025 season, considering how important he has been to CSK’s goals over the years.
Fleming acknowledged the Sri Lankan’s difficulties but refrained from criticising Pathirana too much.
“Yes, Pathirana’s form hasn’t lived up to our expectations. We kept him on board because we have great expectations for him. However, he is returning in some capacity. When we had him in South Africa, he was in terrible form. Although he has improved, neither he nor we are satisfied. I suppose there is some space for him to gain some shape and confidence. However, I believe he’s simply at a turning point in his career when batsmen are playing him more effectively.
“They’ve seen him more. He simply needs to focus on what he needs to do to be as successful as he was in the early years of his career. Although it has been a little off, it is a distinct skill set.
In addition to Pathirana’s difficulties, Noor Ahmad, the other international bowling star, has fallen short of expectations. Although he is statistically second in the race for the Purple Cap, the Afghanistan spinner’s influence has diminished as the season has progressed. In particular, he has found it difficult to limit the runs while taking wickets. In the meantime, Anshul Kamboj’s modest rise has been the only positive development. Kamboj, who was unexpectedly left out at the beginning of the season, has impressed with his new-ball bursts, displaying good control and composure under duress. The 24-year-old’s ability to rush batters because of his cunning with the ball is one of his skills. In addition to his hard length deliveries, Kamboj can also get the ball to nip away from the seam. He also has a respectable slower ball in his repertoire.
Fleming had nothing but good things to say about the young pacer, who has also advanced quickly in red-ball cricket. Kamboj became just the third player in history to grab all ten wickets in an innings during the 2024 Ranji season. Additionally, he was selected for the India A team that will soon travel to England.
“Kamboj does well. He has been travelling between 138 and 139 kph. The ball always seems to strike the gloves more forcefully, and he is dishonest. His length is his greatest asset, as he simply makes the ball tremble. He will perform well on that trip (of England) if he gets conditions that seam a little bit and have a little bit of swing, as you saw today on a very flat wicket. He will be a real pain in the ass. With both the white and red balls, he has some serious potential. We’re pleased with his growth and the chance he’s seized this year.”
India
