April 26, 2025: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has taken responsibility for the team’s performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction and the season so far, acknowledging the challenges the team has faced.
In a post-match press conference following their loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Fleming admitted that CSK hasn’t been successful in the auction process, saying, “Other teams have got better, and that’s the point of the auction. But we just haven’t been able to get it right. So you take responsibility from the top down, and then you just ask a little bit more of the players.”
Fleming further reflected on the team’s underperformance, citing injuries, lack of form, and an inability to settle on a game plan as key factors. “A couple of key injuries, just a bit of a lack of form. And we’ve just struggled really to nail a game plan, chopped and changed too much. But I think it was trying to look for something that perhaps we felt wasn’t there,” he said.
Despite the loss, Fleming noted improvements in CSK’s batting intent, which he believes reflects progress over the season. However, he also pointed out that the team has been too tense, leading to pressure on the bowlers and loss of wickets. “The game sort of sums up the season. I thought there was better intent today with the bat, and that’s something we’ve been looking for, is just to free up,” he added.
A standout performance from Harshal Patel, who claimed four wickets, alongside strong contributions from Ishan Kishan and Kamindu Mendis, helped SRH defeat CSK by five wickets. With this win, SRH moved up to eighth place in the points table with three wins and six losses, while CSK remained at the bottom with two wins and seven losses.