Former Indian captain and selection committee chairman Kris Srikkanth has vehemently dismissed rumours connecting Hemang Badani to the vacant Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach position.
Srikkanth asserted that with someone of MS Dhoni's stature, intelligence, and presence already in the dugout, CSK don’t need to hunt for another marquee name.
The coaching position at the five-time champions became vacant after Stephen Fleming mutually parted ways with the franchise in July 2026, ending a legendary 18-year tenure.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth pointed out that Badani has "nothing special" on his coaching resume to justify a high-profile move to CSK. He noted that under Badani's management, the Delhi Capitals (DC) struggled significantly and failed to reach the playoffs over the last two seasons.
In fact, the Capitals are undergoing a structural overhaul under JSW management, with Sourav Ganguly expected to take over Badani's position and Yuvraj Singh tipped to join as his assistant.
"There is no way Hemang Badani should be CSK's head coach. He didn't do anything in DC. I don't know why CSK should go all-out for him. He is nothing special as a coach. When you have Dhoni, why do you even need someone else as coach? Dhoni himself is enough as head coach," said Srikkanth.
If Dhoni and the management strongly prefer an indigenous coaching setup, Srikkanth proposed former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Chandrakant Pandit as a far more seasoned and trophy-proven alternative.
"If Dhoni is preferring an Indian coach, then I would go for Chandrakant Pandit. He's a good guy and has won trophies. But CSK should go for an Indian option. Either the coach must have been a great international player or achieved big as a coach at the domestic or IPL level," Srikkanth added.
With the mega-auction scheduled for December 2026, Srikkanth urged the CSK management to stay patient, think calmly, and avoid making a rushed appointment.
"It's fine that CSK are taking their time. There is no necessity to make the decision in a hurry. The auction will only be in December, so there's enough time. So they shouldn't rush it at all and should think calmly to make the right decision," he remarked.
