"Without A Doubt": CSK Coach Stephen Fleming Pinpoints Big Reason Behind Team's Defeat To SRH

Following his side's six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming said that his team missed the presence of key pacers like Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman. Chennai Super Kings suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, after Abhishek Sharma's blitz and a clinical bowling spell guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to a six-wicket victory on Friday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

While Pathirana missed out on the match due to a niggle, Mustafizur is in Bangladesh to get his visa for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in West Indies/USA starting from June 1 onwards.

Mukesh Chaudhary was given a chance to play his first game since 2022. The pacer was a standout bowler in 2022, taking 16 wickets in 13 matches, including a four-wicket haul. But his return was forgettable as he was smashed for 27 runs in a single over by Abhishek Sharma and was removed from the attack.

Following the match in the post-match press conference, Fleming said, "Without a doubt (If missing Pathirana and Mustafizur affected the outcome), it is part of the IPL. Having injuries and losing players in an IPL is part of the process."

"We had a chance to introduce Mukesh Chaudhary today. He was good for us a while back. It was not his day. But that is part of the IPL, managing players, and when you do find yourself a little bit short on firepower, it is finding the new hero," said Fleming.

The coach said that his team missed out on some important runs, failing to make the best use of the powerplay while batting.

"And, it did not happen today, but we put trust in the players that we introduced and they have