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Former Australian batter Michael Hussey is likely to be removed from Chennai Super Kings' coaching set-up ahead of the IPL 2027 season. The franchise has reportedly already informed Hussey informally of the decision to remove him.
After suffering heartbreaking seasons in the recent past, the franchise has begun restructuring its coaching team with the removal of its former head coach, Stephen Fleming. As soon as Fleming was sacked, it became inevitable that more changes were to come.
Michael Hussey to leave CSK ahead of IPL 2027
The appointment of the former India pacer Zaheer Khan as the replacement for Stephen Fleming and another former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma as the team's bowling coach, replacing Eric Simons, are the two major steps already taken by the franchise.
It is believed that MS Dhoni played a major role behind both of these appointments. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan previously mentioned that they communicated with Zaheer Khan as per their former skipper, MS Dhoni's suggestion. Mohit Sharma, who played for CSK in the past, also has a connection with Dhoni.
Zaheer never played for CSK, but he played under the leadership of MS Dhoni for the Indian national cricket team. The decision to remove Michael Hussey from the role is a massive step, as the former batter has been associated with the franchise for eight years as a coach. He represented CSK as a player in six seasons; then, after retirement, he joined the team as a coach to work under Fleming.
Michael Hussey's journey in IPL with CSK
Michael Hussey joined CSK as a player in 2008 and skipped the following season. He joined the Yellow Brigade again in 2010 and played for them till 2013. Ahead of the 2014 season, Hussey joined CSK's arch rival Mumbai Indians only for one season and then made his return to the Chennai Super Kings in 2015. The Aussie batter, who was known as 'Mr. Cricket', joined the Chennai-based franchise as a coach in 2018.
From 2018 to 2026, Michael Hussey worked as the team's batting coach,h and the latest reports are to be believed, he is likely to leave the club. However, according to a Cricbuzz report, there are already multiple interests for the batting coach. If any of the interests turn into a deal, then Hussey could join another franchise to mark a fresh start in his IPL career.
Uncertainty over the fielding coach, James Foster
After the departures of Stephen Fleming, Phil Simmons, and probably Michael Hussey, the question will be about the fielding coach, James Foster, who joined the team only a season ago. Will CSK part ways with Foster as well? The decision is yet to be taken.
The Chennai Super Kings owner, Rupa Gurunath, is in South Africa for the SA20 team-building process. A final decision on James Foster is likely to be taken after Rupa's arrival. Here, Dhoni is again expected to play a crucial role. As of now, while Hussey's exit is almost confirmed, James Foster's situation is uncertain, but he is well aware about the ongoing process in the franchise.
