We are months and months away from the IPL 2027 season, but every franchise is trying its best to keep it in our minds. After Lucknow Super Giants with the Rishabh Pant-Kuldeep Yadav trade, now it’s time
for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have finally let go of their long-serving, loyal head coach, Stephen Fleming.
Fleming had a great run, winning five IPL titles, and will always be remembered as a CSK legend. But he was always considered more of a man-manager than a coach, and while that’s important, the IPL is only getting more competitive. An upgrade in the coaching set-up could be the easiest way for CSK to gain the margins.
They don’t need to look any further than Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to see how much a head coach can change a franchise’s trajectory. Below, we give our three reasons why Rahul Dravid is the best man to end this three-year run without playoffs for a team that prides itself on consistency.
#Perfectly experienced
When RCB signed Flower, his IPL record wasn’t anything special. It was made up of some poor days at the Punjab Kings and some decent ones at the Lucknow Super Giants.
But outside of the IPL, he was a senior winner, with dozens of trophies in other leagues and a proven track record. It showed how coaching in T20, and in sport by extension, is mostly about the conditions.
Dravid is similar. He didn’t have a great time at Rajasthan Royals, but he has a lot of IPL captaincy and coaching pedigree. He also won India its first ICC trophy in ten years, doing so in the T20 format when not many gave the Men in Blue a chance of overcoming stronger opponents with an ageing team.
He knows this format inside-out, is probably looking for a coaching role that doesn’t blanket his entire life, and with a bit more chance to control things at CSK, could bring back the consistent challenge for trophies.
#Modern ideas
Dravid’s T20 World Cup victory was helped by his extensive data work. Throughout his tenure with the Indian team, despite the justified criticisms, Dravid was one of the best in being ahead of the curve and being open to being innovative in his zeal to win.
Fleming was excellent, but his ideas were clearly outdated. In some circles, he was described as a ‘dinosaur’ for his reluctance to accept how aggressive the format had become. Dravid will change that and help CSK become less predictable, just like the Indian team.
#Comfort of working with youngsters
In 2026, CSK made a tangible push towards young talent. They seemed to realise that the ‘experience is best’ philosophy was overdone and had run its course, and that they needed more happy-go-lucky and fearless cricketers.
There aren’t many better men in India to lead this shift. Dravid is considered ‘the’ coach for working with young cricketers, and his talent ID is also, from what we have seen so far, world-class.
In addition, MS Dhoni, who is set to be a key man behind the decision to appoint the new coach, would probably love to work with a former teammate who understands the game at his level.
