Ramesh on Zaheer’s appointment as CSK coach: ‘Saw the success of Nehra…try something similar’

Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan has been appointed as the Head Coach for the Chennai Super Kings. Stephen Fleming, who has been part of the franchise since the beginning of the Indian Premier League, has parted ways with the team after 2026. Former Indian cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh questioned Zaheer Khan’s appointment and advised to keep fingers crossed for Zaheer’s success.

“Zaheer was a great cricketer and a fantastic bowler. But his only coaching experience has been working in the cricketing operations for MI from 2018 to 2022 and one year with LSG as mentor. However, this is the first time he’ll be the head coach of an IPL franchise. So we have to keep our fingers crossed,” Ramesh said on his Instagram channel

Ramesh compared the appointment with Ashish Nehra of the Gujarat Titans, who won their inaugural season in 2022 and have been making the playoffs regularly.

“Finally, CSK have an Indian head coach for the first time. They’ve finally gone from a foreign coach mentality to an Indian coach mentality. I feel CSK saw the success of Ashish Nehra with GT and wanted to try something similar with the appointment of Zaheer Khan to see if it can spark a turnaround,” said Ramesh.
Honoured says Zaheer

The soon-to-be 48-year-old Zaheer played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India. He was the highest wicket-taker during the historic 2011 World Cup campaign with 21 scalps.

“Chennai Super Kings announce former India left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan as the team’s Head Coach for TATA IPL 2027. A crucial part of India’s successful World Cup 2011 campaign, Zaheer comes with a vast experience across formats having played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India in a career that spanned 14 years. In the IPL, Zaheer has played 100 matches and turned to coaching roles post his retirement,” the franchise in a statement.

“It’s an honour to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. As a cricketer, I have faced CSK on the field and have thoroughly enjoyed the contests. The atmosphere created by the Superfans at Chepauk make it even more special. I can’t wait to join the legacy franchise with such a rich history,” Zaheer said.