MS Dhoni ‘s preference to work with a familiar face in the Chennai Super Kings camp on Monday turned out to be the reason behind the five-time IPL winners appointing former India pacer Zaheer Khan as their head coach. Winds of change are blowing in the Chennai Super Kings camp. Zaheer replaced Stephen Fleming , who was at the helm for 18 seasons while playing an instrumental role in making CSK one of the most successful teams in the world’s biggest T20 league.
Fleming had announced in July this year that he was parting ways with the five-time champion side. The former New Zealand captain has now taken up the role of England’s head coach in Test cricket. “Zaheer’s distinguished playing career and proven ability to nurture young talent make him a valuable addition to our setup. CSK MD Kashi Viswanathan added, “Zaheer is a world-class bowler and has been a mentor to many young cricketers, especially fast bowlers, over the years. As a player, Zaheer was one of the key reasons for India’s success in the 2000s. He’s one of the finest cricketing brains, and we look forward to having him in our family. If sources close to the CSK team management are to be believed, then Dhoni insisted on having someone with whom he is familiar.
The soon-to-be 48-year-old Zaheer played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 17 T20Is for India. One of the trusted lieutenants in Dhoni’s captaincy era with the Indian team, Zaheer was the highest wicket-taker during the historic 2011 World Cup campaign, with 21 scalps.
We are confident that his guidance will help strengthen the core of this franchise,” Gurunath said.
