Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will enter the IPL 2027 season without an official batting coach. Following a major backroom overhaul, the franchise has opted not to directly replace long-serving batting coach Michael Hussey, whose tenure recently came to an end.
According to CSK EO Kasi Viswanathan, going without a designated batting coach was a strategic decision taken by the recently appointed head coach Zaheer Khan.
While there will be no official batting coach, Viswanathan revealed they are exploring the option of using newly appointed assistant coach Gareth Batty in a batting mentor/adviser role.
“Our coaching staff is complete. Whoever we announced yesterday will form our backroom team; we will not have a batting coach,” Viswanathan told Sportstar on Wednesday (October 28).
“It’s a decision taken by Zaheer (on not having a batting coach). But yes, we are exploring the option of using Batty as a batting mentor. Discussions are ongoing,” he added.
Following a disappointing eighth-place finish in the 2026 season and missing the playoffs for three consecutive years, CSK have made sweeping changes to their coaching department.
Last month, former India pacer Zaheer was named the chief coach. He replaced Stephen Fleming, who parted ways with the franchise following a historic 16-year tenure. Bowling coach Eric Simons is also out of the coaching staff, with former India pacer Mohit Sharma being handed the responsibilities. The franchise has parted ways with their long-serving batting.
Alongside former England spinner Gareth Batty, ex-South African all-rounder Albie Morkel has also been named an assistant coach. Sridharan Sriram (assistant coach) and James Foster (fielding coach) were the only support staff who have been retained from last season.
Meanwhile, Kasi Viswanathan downplayed the blockbuster trade rumours linking Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya to CSK ahead of the IPL 2027 season.
"No developments on that front to my knowledge," Viswanathan remarked.
The trade speculation intensified significantly after CSK released a promotional video introducing their revamped coaching staff under Zaheer Khan. At the end of the clip, the franchise's mascot, Leo, held a placard featuring the number "33"—the jersey number worn by Hardik for both MI and Team India.
This cryptic teaser triggered massive social media buzz and even drew a viral reaction from former CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who tweeted that "proper cooking" was underway.
Despite the intense fan hype and circulating theories, the CSK management's formal stance remains cautious and non-committal as teams finalize their strategies ahead of the IPL 2027 retention deadline.
