MS Dhoni (left) speaks to CSK head coach Stephen Fleming during the practice session. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that turning around their woeful IPL 2025 campaign would be a “big challenge,” emphasising that MS Dhoni’s return as captain, following Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, is not a magical solution.
“His [Dhoni’s] influence will always be prominent, but he’s not a soothsayer, he hasn’t got a magic wand,” Fleming told reporters ahead of CSK’s clash with Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. “He can’t just rub it over the side otherwise he would have brought it out earlier. It’s a case of us working very hard along with MS to turn it around and certainly in both of our cricketing careers, we’ve been in situations that require a lot of energy and we’ve got to make sure that the energy is put in the right place.”
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With five consecutive defeats leaving CSK anchored at the bottom of the table, including a crushing loss to KKR where they posted their lowest-ever total at Chepauk (103/9), Fleming said the squad is hurting and undergoing deep introspection.
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“The disappointing aspect in particular the last game was the lack of competition we put up and that hurt a lot,” he said. “There’s certainly been a lot of internal soul-searching… but it’s not about words, it’s about players grabbing the moment, finding form, and shaking off apprehension.”

Fleming also reflected on the broader nature of T20 cricket: “I know there’s a fascination with power and six-hitting, but there’s still room for craft… I’d be very sad if it just became a baseball competition.”

Looking ahead to Monday’s game against a high-flying LSG, Fleming confirmed Shivam Dube is likely to be fit and stressed the importance of containing Nicholas Pooran. “He’s the best player in the world at the moment by some distance — consistent, powerful and a real threat.”