The suspense over Chennai Super Kings’ new head coach is likely to be resolved within the next week or two, with former India batsman Hemang Badani lined up as the potential successor to Stephen Fleming. The Indian Express understands that with former captain MS Dhoni pushing for an Indian-led support staff, Badani has emerged the front runner, on the back of his previous IPL experience as head coach of Delhi Capitals and his success in other T20 leagues. The final call, though, still rests with the ownership, which continues to explore overseas options.
After CSK failed to make the play-offs for a third season running, the franchise parted ways with Fleming, head coach since 2009. CSK’s CEO and MD Kasi Viswanathan told The Indian Express after Fleming’s removal that the franchise had handed the responsibility for finding a new coach to Dhoni. While there were indications early on that Fleming’s successor would also come from overseas, it’s learnt Dhoni has made a strong case for an Indian to take charge instead. The ownership is still weighing options on the overseas front, and reliably understood to be waiting until it has assessed the pros and cons on both sides. With Fleming having delivered sustained success, and other franchises finding it too under foreign coaches, there is a school of thought within CSK favouring an overseas appointment. But in terms of IPL experience specifically, the options on that front are limited.