Chennai Super Kings have appointed former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as their head coach for IPL 2027. This is his first head-coaching role, and he comes
in on a one-year contract.
Zaheer succeeds Stephen Fleming, who spent 16 years in the role and helped CSK win five IPL titles. Fleming stepped down in July 2026 after CSK finished eighth in the league stage, recording six wins and eight losses. The CSK leadership group agreed on Zaheer's appointment, with managing director Kasi Viswanathan noting that he would be a lot of help to the development of the team's bowlers.
Here are 3 CSK players who could get a bigger role under Zaheer Khan:
1. Mukesh Choudhary
Mukesh Choudhary is a left-arm seamer who played a vital role for CSK in the 2026 season as a replacement for Khaleel Ahmed. With Zaheer Khan, himself a celebrated left-arm seamer, now at the helm as head coach, Mukesh could find a mentor who understands his style of bowling closely. CSK's management has already indicated that Zaheer's expertise would benefit the team's bowling group.
A left-arm seamer working directly under one of India's finest left-arm fast bowlers is a combination that could help Mukesh develop further and cement a more prominent place in the playing eleven for IPL 2027. He took eight wickets in eight games in 2026, playing a vital role as a strike bowler.
2. Kartik Sharma
Kartik Sharma was signed by CSK for 14 crore rupees at the 2026 IPL auction and was one of the young players brought in as part of the team's squad rebuild. He put up respectable performances in the 2026 season and displayed big-hitting skills in the middle order. CSK have not made the playoffs since winning the title in 2023, and a bottom-placed finish in 2025 pushed the franchise toward younger talent.
Under Zaheer, who is known for backing and developing players, Kartik could be given a more defined and consistent role in the middle order, allowing him to build on the promise he showed in his debut IPL season with the franchise. He would be looking to build on the 295 runs he scored last season in a more prominent middle-order role.
3. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson was CSK's top run-scorer in the 2026 IPL season, finishing with 477 runs. He also took the most wicket-keeping dismissals for the team, with six. Samson was part of the leadership group consulted on Zaheer's appointment, which reflects the regard the management holds for him.
With Ruturaj Gaikwad's form and captaincy flagged as a concern, a key decision for Zaheer could be whether to hand Samson a more prominent leadership role. His batting output in 2026 already makes a strong case for him to be given greater responsibility in the side going into IPL 2027.
