Despite giving up 33 runs in the 19th over against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming backed bowler Khaleel Ahmed and said the team will look into other bowling options in subsequent games.

When MS Dhoni selected Khaleel over Anshul Kamboj, who had one over left after an outstanding spell, the decision was questioned. Prior to Romario Shepherd's forceful batting in the pivotal over, Ahmed had been playing well this season and had the highest dot-ball total in the IPL at 110, topping Mohammed Siraj's 107.

"Khaleel has done really well for us this season, so there's no reason for MS to have changed that. Kamboj is growing into his role nicely. He can do death (over bowling). He will be an option going forward, but there was no reason why Khaleel would be replaced to do that," Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

CSK fell short by two runs while chasing 214, finishing at 211 for five. Fleming addressed the team's inability to score big in the latter half of their innings.

"If there was a big over there, we would have won, but they bowled well. We knew that there was going to be a steep climb towards the end, but we maintained a pretty good rate. And then when it came down to the business end, it was just one or two hits away. Of course, we would have liked to have had a big over with 10 overs to go, but it just didn't come about," he explained.

Despite recent setbacks, the former captain of New Zealand emphasized encouraging developments, especially the rise of new players. CSK intends to retain seasoned players for the upcoming seasons while developing a youthful core.

"It was a much better performance, though, but just a couple of areas where we lost concentration and they pounced, in particular in the last two overs of the fielding effort. And then we actually battled really well. It's been one of our struggles this year, but there were a couple of individual performances there that we're really proud of," Fleming stated.

"Given that our season has been a struggle, we are always looking to review and move forward. So, while it feels like doom and gloom, we are unearthing some talent and getting some evidence together to put forward a good case for a good team next year. But we still value experience. If you look at the statistics of the tournament, you'll see a lot of the players that are featuring are experienced players, so it's the balance that we're after. We've made some good gains in that," Fleming said.

The coach acknowledged the impact of close defeats on the team.

"It weighs heavy. We have high expectations put on us. Everyone who's involved from the auction through to the day-to-day training of the team is hurting. This is not what you planned for. You're looking at a little bit behind you, what we could have done better, and that's just natural. But we're also looking firmly ahead to make sure that we can make some gains over the next three games and be in a position that we can compete better next year," he concluded.