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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 is still far off; however, franchises are strengthening their backrooms by appointing new head coaches and supporting staff, and trading players with other franchises. Amidst this, five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have appointed all their coaches and have provided an update that they will not appoint a batting coach.
CSK parted ways with their former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming after the 2026 IPL season. He was the longest-serving head coach for a franchise. After that, they appointed former India National Cricket Team pacer Zaheer Khan as the new head coach for the forthcoming season. Zaheer has taken over a side that has been struggling in recent times.
"We will not have a batting coach": Kasi Viswanathan on CSK's batting coach
Speaking to Sportstar on Wednesday, Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said, "Our coaching staff is complete. Whoever we announced yesterday will form our backroom team; we will not have a batting coach." This is a shocking announcement of not having a batting coach, as no coach inside the dressing room was a complete batter during their time.
Kasi also revealed that the five-time champions are planning to use Gareth Batty, who is the assistant coach, as the batting adviser. He said (as quoted by News18), "It’s a decision taken by Zaheer (on not having a batting coach). But yes, we are exploring the option of using Batty as a batting mentor. Discussions are ongoing."
Why was Michael Hussey sacked as batting coach?
Michael Hussey, who was the batting coach for the franchise from 2018, also left the backroom after Stephen Fleming was sacked. Hussey was part of the franchise as a player as well; he won two titles as a player in 2010 and 2011. He played six seasons for the Men in Yellow.
As a batting coach, he played a key role in CSK's success, with the franchise winning IPL titles in 2018, 2021 and 2023. He remained one of the finest for the side. CSK said in a statement on social media, "From the very first season in 2008, you have been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings family."
"Your journey in Yellow has been defined not just by the runs you scored and the players you mentored, but by the dedication, humility, and unwavering commitment you brought to this franchise over the years."
Will CSK's new coaching staff bring back lost glory?
There were rumours that Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina would take over Hussey as the next batting coach for the Men in Yellow, but those rumours did not turn out to be true after the announcement of the Super Kings CEO.
The Men in Yellow, apart from Zaheer Khan as their head coach, announced former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel as the assistant coach, who is the head coach of JoBurg Super Kings (JSK) in the SA20; he was also a former Chennai player, and Gareth Batty as the other assistant coach, and former pacer Mohit Sharma as the bowling coach. Together, they will look to bring back the lost glory of the franchise.
