"Don't think many people had any hopes for an aging side to maintain the competitiveness during this cycle" - CSK coach Stephen Fleming
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming poured praise down on his side for maintaining consistency despite highly contrasting beliefs. Fleming was a proud man after the yellow army clinched their fourth IPL title by beating Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Friday.
While CSK had one of the most experienced squads, their abilities came under scrutiny due to their ages. Skipper MS Dhoni himself has seen his powers wane since IPL 2020, while Suresh Raina has looked vulnerable. However, they defied everything by turning the tables to beat Kolkata by 27 runs in the decider.
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Speaking at a post-match press conference, Stephen Fleming hailed the squad as "special" and recognized the hard work put in by them. Fleming was aware of the "dad's army" tag and the lack of expectations from them to do as well as they did. Fleming was pleased with the aging side's accomplishments and deemed them special.
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"It's very hard to reign them and I also think they're special as they work hard and the results are because of the hard work. I think the win in 2018, coming back was very emotional.
'There is a lot of hard work in this one and we were called the dad's army in the first year and I don't think a lot of people had any hopes for us to maintain the competitiveness during this cycle and another year added, so we were pretty much written off.
'So, there is little bit of jubilation around there and a lot of pride what the players have been able to achieve and maintain the standards over a number of months. It's a challenge for the aging side. I'm really proud of what they did, the way they played and it was very special, trust me."
The four-time champions' 2020 campaign was disastrous as they could not reach the playoffs for the first time in history. They finished seventh in the rankings and Dhoni's captaincy reign came under question.
"It might be the end of an era as you might not get some players back" - Stephen Fleming
When asked whether this might be the 'end of an era', Fleming admitted that there were some emotions during the final. The 48-year-old highlighted the Super Kings' system of developing players. He feels it's quite early to comment on the make-up of the squad before the IPL 2022. Fleming added:
"Well, maybe. I don't know and there were emotions around. It might be an end of an era as you might not get some players back. There is some emotion around this last game, so when you win it, it's a celebration but also a recognition of what the players have put in.
'Chennai has always had a system or a belief that if you can maintain players, keep them with you for a long time, you can get the best out of them. And yes, there are players who have been with us for a long time. It'll be interesting to see over the next few months how it pans out. Most teams are probably going to go for a change and we could be one. But how that looks like it's too early to tell."
The mega auction before the 15th edition of the IPL allows franchises to retain only two players. With MS Dhoni likely to play next season, CSK's probability of retaining him is high.