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Cricket PlayersBrendon McCullum to CSK chatter grows after Stephen Fleming's exit as franchise begin search for their next head coach
Brendon McCullum has been linked with the vacant CSK head coach role after Stephen Fleming's exit, though no formal approach has yet been made.
Chennai Super Kings have played down speculation linking them with a move for Hardik Pandya, insisting that decisions over potential trades will only be taken once the franchise appoints a new head coach ahead of the next IPL season.
CSK are searching for a successor to Stephen Fleming after the New Zealander brought an end to his extraordinary stint with the franchise. While Pandya’s uncertain future at Mumbai Indians has inevitably attracted attention, Chennai have not yet seriously explored a deal for the India all-rounder.
According to Cricbuzz, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said the franchise has deliberately held off discussing potential recruits until its new coach is in place. “We have not started applying our minds on this. First, we will have a coach. We have got calls from many interested candidates. We will sit and finalise,” Viswanathan said.
Viswanathan and whole-time director Rupa Gurunath are expected to decide on the new coach after consultations with MS Dhoni and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The franchise is believed to favour an overseas appointment. Consequently, any discussion over Pandya is expected to come only after CSK have settled their coaching structure. If the all-rounder remains available for a trade by then, his name could enter the conversation.
At present, however, there appears to be little substance behind suggestions that Chennai have already offered players to Mumbai Indians in exchange for Pandya.
Brendon McCullum link gathers attention
The uncertainty over Fleming's successor has also produced speculation around another former New Zealand captain — Brendon McCullum. Fleming left CSK following an association stretching back to the inaugural IPL season, having joined as a player in 2008 before becoming head coach in 2009. He subsequently built one of the league's most enduring coaching regimes and oversaw five IPL title triumphs.
McCullum, meanwhile, has obvious connections with both Fleming and Chennai. He played under Fleming at CSK and the two have shared a close relationship extending well beyond their playing careers. Their recent England connection has added another layer to the speculation. Fleming has taken over England's Test side after McCullum relinquished the red-ball position, while McCullum continues to oversee England's white-ball teams.
There has consequently been chatter suggesting that McCullum could move in the opposite direction and replace Fleming at CSK, particularly amid indications that the England and Wales Cricket Board could be open to allowing coaches to take up IPL assignments during suitable windows.
There is, though, little evidence at present that McCullum has been formally approached by CSK or that Fleming has been involved in attempting to bring him back to Chennai. For now, CSK's immediate priority remains appointing their coach.
Pandya's position could become clearer in parallel. The all-rounder has shifted to Bengaluru and has regularly been working at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, where he is understood to be nearing full fitness. After initial conversations with the Mumbai Indians management, he is waiting for clarity over whether the franchise intends to retain or trade him.
A Pandya deal would present MI with a difficult calculation. IPL franchises are generally reluctant to strengthen direct rivals through trades, and Pandya remains a rare commodity: an Indian seam-bowling all-rounder capable of finishing innings and providing leadership.
For CSK, meanwhile, there is another layer of intrigue. Having traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to acquire Sanju Samson only last year, they could find themselves considering another high-profile all-rounder — but only after the person who will coach the team has had his say.
