On IPL 2025 Playoff Hopes, CSK Coach's Big Admission: "Run Out Of Time To..."

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming on Saturday acknowledged that the five-time winners are “hanging on by the thread” and said the team will not hesitate to bring in new faces ahead of experienced players in the second half of the IPL if the next two matches do not pan out as per the plans. CSK, who are languishing at the 10th spot with only two wins in seven games, have always chalked out strategies around experienced players, generally keeping the greenhorns on the bench till they mature enough to walk into the team set up.

“It's a delicate phase isn't it? We are still in the competition but we are hanging on by the thread, trying to find a balance between giving the guys an extended run to show some form and also, wanting to get results,” Fleming told the media on the eve of CSK's match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

“Unfortunately, the position we find ourselves in, we have run out of time to be too patient. On the other hand, we don't want to keep chopping and changing, trying to find the magic formula, quite possibly our tournament has been that far.

“We've got eyes on the season, but we've also got a little bit of a look forward, making sure that we are developing players for the future and that might be the second half of the season, if it doesn't go well over the next couple of games,” he said.

Without taking any specific names that CSK would want to try out, Fleming said the team's current situation brings all players in the squad into the equation.

“Our results to date have brought all the squad members into play. It's been our tradition in the past to stick with more experienced players and they've given us the results that we were after,” he said.

“But when you don't get the