Stephen Fleming’s departure has left Chennai Super Kings facing the most consequential coaching decision in their history, and Ravichandran Ashwin believes MS Dhoni would be the franchise’s ideal choice to lead the next chapter.
CSK announced on Tuesday that they had mutually parted ways with Fleming, ending a remarkable association that began when the former New Zealand captain joined the franchise as a player in the inaugural IPL season in 2008. He became head coach a year later and spent the next 17 seasons helping build one of the competition’s most successful and stable teams.
Ashwin, who experienced the Fleming-Dhoni partnership closely during his time at CSK, believes the franchise had reached a stage where it needed to move in a different direction.
“Fleming really understood what ticked Dhoni, and Dhoni understood that Fleming was a great lieutenant, and that partnership carried on for such a long time. I would say it was about time Chennai Super Kings looked beyond,” Ashwin said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Under Fleming, CSK won five IPL titles and two Champions League Twenty20 trophies. They reached a record 10 IPL finals and qualified for the playoffs on 12 occasions, establishing themselves as the league’s model of consistency.
However, Fleming’s departure also breaks up the partnership that had defined CSK’s cricketing identity for nearly two decades. Dhoni remained the team’s central authority on the field, while Fleming created an environment in which the former India captain’s methods and instincts could flourish.
Ashwin backs Dhoni but warns CSK over next appointment
With CSK now searching for a successor, Ashwin said there would be no stronger candidate than Dhoni if the legendary captain was prepared to move into coaching.
“If Dhoni is willing to do that, there is no better person that Chennai Super Kings can go after,” Ashwin said.
Dhoni’s understanding of CSK extends far beyond tactics or team selection. He has been central to the franchise’s recruitment philosophy, dressing-room culture and decision-making process since its inception. His long and successful partnership with Fleming also gives him an intimate understanding of the system the outgoing coach helped create.
Ashwin, however, stressed that CSK must provide genuine authority to whoever replaces Fleming if Dhoni does not take up the position.
“If not, they need to find someone who will be able to operate independently and take accountability for his or her own actions,” he said.
The former India spinner also highlighted the delicate situation awaiting any external candidate. Although Dhoni is no longer CSK’s permanent captain, he remains the franchise’s most influential cricketing personality and continues to have a major say in discussions surrounding the squad.
“I think there is a small aspect of uncertainty for anybody who will walk into that dressing room. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a huge name, and he’s still very much a part of the discussion when you’re talking about a squad that will be picked to play,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin’s remarks underline the complexity of CSK’s transition. Fleming’s successor will not merely be replacing a decorated coach. The new appointment will have to operate within a franchise still shaped heavily by Dhoni’s presence and influence.
CSK must therefore decide whether to formally place Dhoni at the centre of their new coaching structure or appoint someone with enough independence to reshape the team. After 17 years of Fleming’s continuity, the franchise’s next decision could determine whether it successfully moves into a new era or remains caught between its celebrated past and an uncertain future.
