CSK to stick with 'dad's army' philosophy in the team

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming on Monday made it clear that the franchise will continue to bank on experienced players despite having a dismal

IPL 2025

season. With three wins in a dozen games,

CSK

are currently lying at the bottom of the points table."No, I don't care how old the players are. I do like the experience though. The experience has served us really well over the proud years that we've had," Fleming told reporters on the eve of their match against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!CSK's batting form has been dismal this season. Not a single CSK batter is in the list of the top 20 batters. With 301 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 130.86, Shivam Dube is CSK's highest run-getter.

FOLLOW LIVE: LSG vs SRH IPL 2025 Score"It hasn't worked out quite well for us this year, and that can be a bit of form, it can be strategy, it can be a number of things that just don't quite work out," said Fleming.

Fleming admitted that the season has sent shockwaves not only among the CSK fans but also the players and management."The fact that we've been so consistent over a number of years, to have a poor year is sort of shaking everybody. The challenge for us is making sure we do go over everything that we are doing, and have done in the past, to make sure we are keeping up with our philosophies, but also identifying talent," he said.Fleming categorically denied that CSK will change their approach going forward and will show more trust in youngsters from the next season.

"It's one thing to say we want a team full of young players, but you've got to find them. So it's about identifying talent and making sure they fit," he said."As for the experience, which I'll say again I do like it. You have a look at the top run-scorers and wicket-takers, and you see there is a fair bit of experience there. But what it's sprinkled with is some amazing performances by young players who are playing sort of fearless cricket. So it's about getting that balance right. And that's what we've been looking for," he said.