IPL 2018: Stephen Fleming Maintains 'Calmness' in CSK Camp Plays a 'Big Part'

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming believes that their old horses in the form of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shane Watson, and Dwayne Bravo have a lot to offer to the team success in a nutshell.

Meanwhile, CSK earned a lot of criticism for picking old guns, and now they sit atop the IPL 2018 points table.

Moreover, they have won six out of eight games and have made a historic comeback after a gap of two years following their suspension due to the 2013 IPL scandal.

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The Super Kings has so far witnessed heroic performances from the trio, who are on the wrong side of their 30s.

Similarly, they will look to continue it when they face Knight Riders on May 3 (Thursday) in Kolkata.

Older guys have a lot to offer:

Fleming feels the older guys in his ranks have shown that they still have a lot to give and that their presence in the dressing room brings about a calmness to the side.

“Age isn’t really a barrier. Watson is a good example, very professional with what he does and prepares himself well. He’s playing extremely well, Bravo is another one, MS Dhoni is not a bad one either. I still think the big guys still have a lot to give. The calmness around the group plays a big part,” Fleming told reporters.

While Dhoni has looked in his usual self, Bravo gave a hint of his form in the season opener.

Watson has given CSK brisk starts while opening the batting, his 106 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) being the stand-out performance in this edition.

Rayudu has been massive for us:

Ambati Rayudu has emerged as CSK’s most valuable players this season.

The highest run-getter for Chennai, Rayudu has opened the innings at times while also batting at the number four.

Fleming showered heaps of praise on the 32-year-old batsman, adding that his role was clearly defined to him at the start of their campaign.

“He has been massive for us. We did pick him with that role in mind, that there might be a little bit of shuffling. And he has done that before. So the way he was picked at Mumbai and the way he plays interests me a lot. The way he has performed this year, he has been fantastic for us. There are only two spots really, two or four. And he has been given a very clear role right from the start. So depending on the combination we play, he knows what type of game to play,” Fleming added.

Meanwhile, Chennai also struggled at times due to their weak links in the bowling unit.

However, Stephen Fleming seemed not too much worried about his bowling department.

The former New Zealand opener also said KKR’s spinners are the key and they will have to be careful with the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, and Sunil Narine.

Meanwhile, Kolkata as a unit is fourth on the table with eight points after four wins and four losses respectively.

Also, Read: Mumbai Indians punishes three cricketers in a unique style