The former New Zealand skipper , along with MS Dhoni played a key role in CSK’s five IPL title winning campaigns. However the team has, kind of struggled over the last two seasons. While modern T20 cricket evolved pretty rapidly, Chennai didn’t really adapt fast enough. Fleming later admitted the side made mistakes, and then CSK changed up their strategy ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The squad looked stronger this season , yet injuries disrupted their run. The Sanju Samson trade also brought positive outcomes. Still , CSK finished 5th, 10th , and 8th across the last three seasons. They’ve managed only 17 wins while losing 25 matches during that stretch. After another messy campaign, a lot of fans started asking for Fleming to step down as head coach. Over the last few days, there were reports claimed that Rahul Dravid was in some discussions with CSK, to replace Fleming. The former India captain, and coach really left Rajasthan Royals before the 2026 season, and at the moment he is not tied up with any IPL franchise. 🚨 Big update on MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming:CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan is hopeful that MS Dhoni will return and play in the 2027 IPL season to fulfill his promise of playing his final IPL match at Chepauk.He also confirmed that CSK have not taken any decision regarding… pic.twitter.com/hVLbtImuw2 — Indian Cricket Ministry (@ICM_News45) May 27, 2026 Still, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan basically dismissed those rumours and stated clearly that no conversations had taken place with Dravid. In general, IPL teams often take a short pause after the season, then do a quick review of their performances and make rough plans for the next editions. Also Read | Krishnamachari Srikkanth Blasts CSK for 'Fooling Fans' with MS Dhoni Updates Fleming also keeps rolling on as head coach for the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket and the Joburg Super Kings in SA20, so yeah it’s not like he’s gonna vanish quickly. The 2026 MLC season starts on June 18, so it seems unlikely that he’ll step away before that tournament. Even so, CSK still have enough time to figure out what Fleming’s role might look like in IPL 2027, and also for upcoming SA20 campaigns. At the same time, CSK haven’t really ruled out the chance of Dhoni taking charge as head coach later on. Viswanathan said, the call is fully in Dhoni’s hands, meaning he could come back as a player next season, or swap into the support staff as a coach or mentor, something like that.