Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming offered a brutally honest assessment of his team’s underwhelming IPL campaign, saying it is “probably fitting" that the side is at the bottom of the table after its six-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. The defeat confirmed that the five-time champions are set to finish last on the points table, a rare sight in the league’s history, considering CSK’s consistent success since the beginning of the tournament in 2008.
Speaking after the match, Fleming didn’t hold back in acknowledging how far the side has fallen this season.
“No, we don't obviously like being down here, but it's not a motivation. We wanted just a good performance. We're trying to string some performances together. The aim was two good performances (in last two matches). Now it'll be one good one to finish. It's probably fitting that we're at the bottom. We've played that type of cricket, so you can't hide away from it,” he said.
Fleming highlighted the misfiring top order as a major reason behind CSK’s struggles. The side was forced to change opening combinations owing to inconsistent performances, with youngsters Ayush Mhatre and Anshul Kamboj finally impressing towards the end of the league stages.
“Our order is not right at this stage, and that is something that we are always looking to rejig. We've got some strong ideas for next year, so all those facets are covered. But that hasn't been possible this year because of the lack of runs at the top,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}“Our order is not right at this stage, and that is something that we are always looking to rejig. We've got some strong ideas for next year, so all those facets are covered. But that hasn't been possible this year because of the lack of runs at the top,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}“A lot of the batting positions are determined by how well a start we have, and then guys can fall into line. We haven't had that. So we've been just patching innings up, really, rather than constructing good innings.”
Fleming praises youngster Kamboj
Despite the overall disappointment, Fleming praised young pacer Anshul Kamboj for emerging as a bright spot.
“His speeds have been around 138, 139 (kph). He is deceptive and the ball always seems to hit the gloves harder. His big strength is his length and he just gets the ball to wobble... He'll be an absolute handful. He has got some real potential with both white and red ball. We're happy with his development and the opportunity he has taken this year.”
On Matheesha Pathirana, Fleming was cautious but optimistic. “We have high expectations of him, which is why we retained him… He's made improvements, but it's still not to where we or he would like. So there's some room for him to get some form and get some confidence.”