Chennai, May 19 (H.S.): Stephen Fleming, head coach of Chennai Super Kings, has backed team captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, stating that he has the potential to become an outstanding leader for the franchise in the future, although his batting performances this season have fallen short of expectations.

Following Chennai Super Kings’ five-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, Fleming said Gaikwad would need to improve further with the bat.

Speaking after the match, Fleming said, “I believe Ruturaj can perform much better. He has done it before. He has been an exceptional top-order batter. However, this season he has neither scored runs at the level expected of him nor at the strike rate associated with his career standards. That is certainly something he will work on.”

Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Chennai Super Kings by five wickets with one over to spare in Monday’s encounter in Chennai. The five-time champions now appear set to miss out on the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Gaikwad’s batting, particularly his slow starts during the powerplay, has remained a major talking point throughout the season. Against Hyderabad as well, he managed only 9 runs off 11 balls during the first six overs.

Referring to the injury issues from the previous season, Fleming said, “At least this year he has been with the squad throughout the season. Last year he was unavailable because of injury, so it would not be fair to assess him solely on that basis. However, behind the scenes we have done considerable work in understanding this team and the players.”

He further added, “After a legendary captain like MS Dhoni has led the franchise for such a long period, it is never easy for a new captain to take over. It takes time. But Ruturaj is doing a good job. He commands a great deal of respect within the group. He is constantly learning and applying those lessons on the field as well. I have no doubt that he will become an outstanding captain for this franchise in the future.”

### Fleming Remains Silent on Dhoni’s Future

MS Dhoni was seen with the team on the field on match day for the first time this season. When asked about Dhoni’s future for next season, Fleming responded, “No, at the moment we are focused only on this season.”

Amid Chennai Super Kings’ continued poor performances this season, Fleming also addressed questions regarding his own future with the franchise. He stated that the decision ultimately rests with the team management.

Fleming said, “That decision will be entirely up to the management. I understand there is a great deal of discussion surrounding it. But MS has remained closely associated with the team throughout the year, which has been extremely important for the younger players and for maintaining continuity within the squad. Even though he has not played much on the field, his influence on the team has been enormous.”

He added, “We have also done some positive things this season. We have provided opportunities to several new players who could go on to serve CSK for many years in the future. However, I fully understand that our identity is ultimately defined by results, and rightly so. Therefore, whatever happens going forward will be a decision made by the management, not by me.”

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar