IPL 2025: 'It’s Probably Fitting We’re at the Bottom,' Says Stephen Fleming After CSK’s 10th Defeat

New Delhi – With a six-wicket loss to the Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all but confirmed their place at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table. It marks their tenth defeat of a disappointing season, one that has seen the former champions struggle to keep up with the evolving T20 landscape.

Despite intense weekday heat, a passionate crowd at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium turned up in large numbers—children, adults, and seniors alike—to support MS Dhoni and the CSK squad, donning yellow jerseys and whistling with every moment of hope. But once again, questionable decisions—like promoting Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube—and a toothless bowling performance proved costly.

Ahead of the match, head coach Stephen Fleming had stressed the importance of finishing the season on a high. But after yet another defeat, he acknowledged that CSK’s place at the bottom was, perhaps, deserved.

“We obviously don’t like being down here, but it’s not about motivation now. We just wanted to deliver a solid performance. The goal was to put together two strong games. Now, we’re just looking for one good finish,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

“It’s probably fitting that we’re at the bottom. We’ve played like that this season—you can’t hide from it. But we’re still aiming to put in a performance that reflects the true ability of this team.”

While CSK did well to post 187/8 after slumping to 78/5, it was never likely to be enough against a confident Rajasthan side, particularly with their young players rising to the occasion.

“There was some travel involved, but the boys also trained in Chennai. Rest is helpful, but at this stage of the season, especially when you're at the bottom, motivation is harder to sustain. When you’re in the top four or five, it’s easier to stay mentally sharp and driven,” Fleming explained.

“Our motivation for the final two games was high. Training intensity was good. But again, we couldn’t produce the performance on the field.”

Amidst the struggles, there were some bright spots. Youngsters Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis impressed with stroke-filled knocks of 43 and 42, respectively. However, despite scoring 68 in the powerplay—a phase that has often hurt CSK—they also lost three wickets, including Mhatre, hampering their chances of reaching the 200-run mark.

“Our batting order isn’t quite right at the moment, and we’re constantly looking to rejig it,” Fleming admitted. “We have clear plans for next year to ensure all bases are covered. But this season, we've lacked runs at the top, which determines how the rest of the innings is built. As a result, we’ve been patching things up rather than constructing solid innings.”

On the bowling front, Matheesha Pathirana has been a shadow of his past self. Retained by CSK ahead of IPL 2025, the Sri Lankan pacer has taken 12 wickets in 11 games but has leaked runs, with an economy rate of 10.17.

“It hasn’t been up to the mark. We had high expectations when we retained him. He was out of form in South Africa, and while he’s made progress, he’s still not where we’d like him to be,” Fleming said.

“Opposition batters are playing him better now. He’s at a crossroads where he needs to refine his skills and rediscover the effectiveness that defined the early part of his career. He has a unique skill set, but it’s been slightly off this season.”

Amid a largely ineffective bowling unit, seamer Anshul Kamboj stood out with figures of 1-21, including the prized scalp of a rampaging Yashasvi Jaiswal. Kamboj, recently selected for the India ‘A’ tour of England, impressed with his control and subtle movement.

“Kamboj is impressive—he bowls at 138-139 kmph, but it’s deceptive. The ball hits the gloves hard, and his strength lies in hitting a good length and making the ball wobble even on flat tracks,” said Fleming.

“He’ll do very well in England if conditions offer some seam and swing. He’s shown real potential with both the white and red ball, and we’re happy with his development this season.”

As another difficult evening concluded for CSK, the focus now shifts to salvaging pride in their final match—and laying the groundwork for a much-needed revival in IPL 2026.

With inputs from IANS