Chennai Super Kings announced former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as head coach for IPL 2027, succeeding Stephen Fleming who had led the franchise for 16 years and delivered five IPL titles.
Zaheer’s appointment marks a significant shift in the franchise’s coaching structure as it moves to an Indian head coach for the first time in its history.
Sadagoppan Ramesh, the former India batter, shared his perspective on the appointment. Ramesh acknowledged Zaheer’s credentials as a cricketer and bowler while noting the limited scope of his previous coaching roles. According to Ramesh, Zaheer’s experience has been confined to working in cricketing operations at Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 and serving as mentor at Lucknow Super Giants until September 2025.
“Zaheer was a great cricketer and a fantastic bowler. But his only coaching experience has been working in the cricketing operations for MI from 2018 to 2022 and one year with LSG as mentor. However, this is the first time he’ll be the head coach of an IPL franchise. So we have to keep our fingers crossed,” Ramesh said on Instagram.
Ramesh’s assessment of Zaheer’s coaching experience
Ramesh drew a parallel with another Indian head coach’s recent success in the IPL. He noted that Gujarat Titans had achieved positive results under Ashish Nehra’s leadership, and CSK appeared to be pursuing a similar strategy by appointing an Indian coach. Ramesh explained that the franchise believed an Indian head coach could replicate the success seen at Gujarat Titans.
“Finally, CSK have an Indian head coach for the first time. They’ve finally gone from a foreign coach mentality to an Indian coach mentality. I feel CSK saw the success of Ashish Nehra with GT and wanted to try something similar with the appointment of Zaheer Khan to see if it can spark a turnaround,” Ramesh said.
Zaheer Khan’s international and IPL credentials
Zaheer brings substantial international experience to the role. He played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India across a career spanning 14 years, and was a crucial part of India’s successful World Cup 2011 campaign. In the IPL, Zaheer featured in 100 matches before transitioning to coaching roles after his retirement. His appointment represented a significant moment for CSK as the franchise moved away from its long-standing foreign coaching structure.
“It’s an honour to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. As a cricketer, I have faced CSK on the field and have thoroughly enjoyed the contests. The atmosphere created by the Superfans at Chepauk make it even more special. I can’t wait to join the legacy franchise with such a rich history,” Zaheer said.