IPL 2023: “We have to re-teach the team how to play,” says CSK coach Stephen Fleming ahead of upcoming IPL season

CSK managed to win only 4 out of the 14 league matches last year.

Chennai Super Kings | BCCI/IPLAfter suffering a debacle in the 2022 edition of IPL, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming is keen to bounce back as he urged his players to press the reset button and be in sync with the latest trends.

CSK managed to win only 4 out of the 14 league matches, finishing at the 9th position in the 10-team points table last year.

The IPL is set to return to the home-and-away format in 2023 after being held inside ‘bio-bubbles’ for the last three seasons.

Fleming reckons that players will have to adjust quickly to new ground conditions if they are to do well this season.

“We have to really play well, and we have to re-teach the team how to play (this season). We’ve had three or four years almost where we’ve been away, so our style of play has changed,” Fleming was quoted as saying in a report in CSK website on Monday (January 2).

“So, we quickly have to get back into sync with the ground and make sure that the style of play we play represents what the ground’s asking. And, we’ll do that and we need to do it quickly. So, we’ll work very hard on that.”

With Chepauk set to host CSK’s matches this year, Fleming said his team will do its best to maximise the home advantage.

The four-time champions will be bolstered by the addition of England Test skipper Ben Stokes, who was roped in for a hefty sum of INR 16.25 crore in the mini-auction last month.

“Well, it’s a great time because we turned our home ground into almost a fortress, it was really hard for teams to come and play us and we worked hard. It didn’t happen by accident. We really developed the team that could specialise here. So, we’re really proud of what we achieved here,” said Fleming.

“So, this had to be a strong home base for us. And it was, and what we gave and the results we got, we got back ten-fold from the crowd. And as our support grew and our success grew, it just became an absolute juggernaut of a place to come and compete in. And I know the players loved driving here, turning up to play, and I’m pretty sure as opposition it felt pretty daunting.”

(With PTI inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 03 Jan, 2023

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