Mumbai: With Chennai Super Kings and Head coach Stephen Fleming mutually agreeing to part ways, it is truly the end of an era in many ways.
The former New Zealand captain joined CSK as a player in 2008 and became head coach in 2009, guiding them to five IPL titles, resulting in one of the most dominant and celebrated coaching tenures in cricket history.
Under Fleming’s leadership, CSK entered the IPL play-offs a record 12 times while also being part of 10 IPL finals.
“The Super Kings and Head Coach Stephen Fleming have mutually decided to part ways,” CSK said in a statement. “Together, we shared one of the most successful and enduring partnerships in IPL history. The legacy you’ve built will continue to inspire us. With immense respect and gratitude, Thank you, Stephen.”
CSK became the most popular IPL side across the country, with stands packed with yellow jerseys supporting the team anywhere they played.
Much of the Chennai side’s popularity stemmed from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s mass appeal, but the captain’s charisma was built upon the team’s successful run. And, coach Fleming made a massive contribution in this aspect.
“Eighteen years is a lifetime in sport, and I leave with nothing but gratitude,” Fleming was quoted as saying in the statement. “My time with Chennai Super Kings has been the privilege of my coaching career. I am proud of everything we have achieved.
“Together, we celebrated unforgettable victories, overcame difficult moments, and built memories that will stay with me forever,” he said.
The former New Zealand captain forged a formidable partnership with long-time skipper Dhoni and it was the key to CSK’s stability and success. Both had matching temperaments, always maintaining their calm under pressure.
There was also clarity regarding the boundaries of their responsibilities. Fleming excelled in his role backstage at maintaining a harmonious dressing room atmosphere, keeping players’ confidence high and framing pre-match strategy while Dhoni brilliantly used his cricketing acumen and strong instincts during the game.
“Stephen’s always been there. He’s always got his hand on the rudder. He’s a very shrewd and strategic thinker about the game. So no matter who the captain was, he was always a guiding light in that perspective,” CSK bowling coach Eric Simons had said ahead of their game against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium this season.
During an Instagram live chat with Pommie Mbangwa, CSK’s long-term player Faf du Plessis gave a good idea of what made the partnership click.
For Du Plessis, Fleming’s attitude complemented Dhoni’s calmness. “Flem (Fleming), from a coach point of view, he’s super chill and does most of his coaching one-on-one in the build-up to a game. Team chats, batting meetings, bowlers’ meetings? We don’t have any of them,” du Plessis, who played seven seasons for CSK from 2012 IPL onwards, said. “With Dhoni, there’s nothing, he just leads by example. The Indian players are so inspired by being around him that their game gets lifted to another level.”
Fleming and Dhoni found success by viewing things very differently from the other teams. They were clear about the value of experience. Home advantage was key in the early days so they built a team with that in mind and inspired some cricketers whom others thought were over-the-hill to show they still had it.
In an earlier interaction, Du Plessis told the official website of CSK: “A great thing that CSK has done over the years, and that’s credit to MS and Fleming the coach, is they have targeted captains – (Brendon) McCullum, myself, (Dwayne) Bravo, obviously MS, (Suresh) Raina’s captained a bit – because they want thinking cricketers.
“So, there’s a lot of leaders within the group, that experience of thinking cricketers is what they want and obviously it has proved to be very successful.”
Once the successful coach-captain partnership broke after Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain ahead of the 2024 IPL, the results dried up.
For three consecutive seasons, CSK has not made it to the play-offs. Pressure increased on the coach after the team finished 10th in 2025 IPL and eighth in 2026 edition. The writing was on the wall but still what a run it was.