Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has effectively ruled out Stephen Fleming becoming the next head coach of Team India.
As the BCCI is currently searching for a new head coach to replace Rahul Dravid, Stephen Fleming has emerged as one of the favorites for the job. Recent media reports claimed that the BCCI is interested in appointing the former New Zealand captain as the head coach of the Indian team.
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A report in the Indian Express stated that “Stephen Fleming’s man management skills, his ability to bring out the best in players by creating a positive atmosphere and his impressive success rate at Chennai Super Kings” have impressed the BCCI. The report also stated that informal discussions have already taken place between the parties.
While Stephen Fleming is yet to coach a national team, he is highly respected as a coach for his success in the IPL. He has been the head coach of Chennai Super Kings since 2009 and has guided them to a record five titles. CSK also won the now-defunct T20 Champions League twice with Fleming as head coach.
Kasi Viswanathan on Stephen Fleming’s chances of becoming India’s head coach:
While the BCCI is interested in appointing Stephen Fleming as head coach, Kasi Viswanathan has said that the New Zealand great is unlikely to accept the job. Viswanathan revealed that he had asked Fleming if he was considering the Indian coach’s job and the latter said that he prefers shorter stints as coach.
“Actually, I received many calls from Indian journalists asking me if Stephen was interested in taking a job in the Indian team. So, jokingly, I asked Stephen: have you applied for the Indian coach’s job?
“And Stephen just laughed and said: Do you want me to do it? I know it won’t be his cup of tea because he doesn’t like to be involved for nine or ten months of the year. That’s my feeling. We haven’t discussed anything else with him.” Viswanathan said in a video released by CSK.
Apart from Fleming, former India opener Gautam Gambhir and former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer are also linked with the high-profile job. The last date to apply is May 27. The candidates will then be shortlisted and interviewed before the BCCI names Dravid’s successor.
Dravid’s tenure as head coach will come to an end after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup next month. The former India captain has been in charge of the team as head coach since 2021.