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Chennai Super Kings Coach Stephen Fleming Expresses Concern Over Fielding Woes After Fourth Consecutive Defeat
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming offered a candid assessment of the team’s performance following their fourth successive loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. CSK, who now sit ninth in the points table with just one win from five matches, suffered an 18-run defeat to Punjab Kings on Tuesday night, largely due to subpar fielding.
Reflecting on the match, Fleming highlighted that the game slipped away from CSK due to repeated fielding lapses, particularly dropped catches that allowed Punjab’s Priyansh Arya to capitalize and score a blistering 39-ball century.
“The game was really lost in the field,” Fleming said in the post-match press conference. “We were sloppy and lacked composure under pressure. While Arya played a fine innings, we failed to shut it down and paid the price.”
CSK missed several key opportunities. Khaleel Ahmed dropped a return catch early in the innings, while Mukesh Choudhary and Ravindra Jadeja missed crucial chances in the deep, allowing Arya and Shashank Singh to pile on the runs.
Fleming acknowledged the team’s improved batting performance, particularly in the powerplay where openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra provided a solid start with a 61-run stand in just over six overs. However, the middle-order collapse, with Rachin and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad dismissed cheaply, disrupted the momentum.
Despite a valiant late effort from MS Dhoni, who struck 27 off 12 balls, CSK fell short of Punjab’s formidable 220-run target.
“We batted better and got some substance from the top order, which had been lacking,” Fleming said. “But we couldn’t maintain the required run rate in the middle overs, making the final overs too demanding. Still, we were in the game longer than previous matches, which is encouraging.”
As CSK look to regroup and address their shortcomings, especially in the field, the pressure mounts to turn their season around and climb up the standings in the weeks ahead.
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