Stephen Fleming laments absence of key players as Chennai Super Kings ‘struggle’ in IPL 2024

Five-time former champions Chennai Super Kings have fumbled lately in the Indian Premier League 2024 with only two wins from their last five games. On Wednesday, they were outclassed by the Punjab Kings where they could only manage to post 162 runs on the board. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad played another outstanding innings of 62 runs from 48 deliveries to climb to the top of the orange cap list. However, the CSK opener couldn’t count on his team as wickets kept tumbling and bowlers leaked a lot of runs.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming revealed that the team was plagued by injuries to the players and the unavailability of a few. The former Kiwi player began with ace bowler Deepak Chahar who left the field without completing the first over followed by Matheesha Pahirana and Maheesh Theekshana, who have flown back to Sri Lanka to get visas ahead of the T20 World Cup.

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Meanwhile, CSK’s left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman also went back to fulfill the international commitments for Bangladesh.

"Deepak Chahar doesn't look good. Initial feeling wasn't great. So we are waiting for more positive report. Physio and doctors will have a look. Sri Lankan boys are off to get visa. So we are hoping that their process is smooth. And we get them back for our next game up north (at Dharamshala). Richard Gleeson was good, he was positive," Fleming revealed at the press conference.

The Kiwi coach also disclosed that pacer Tushar Deshpande had also got flu which led to the changes against PBKS.

"Tushar Deshpande got flu, so we had to make a few changes today, which is a bit unusual. But again that's part of it and we have got resources. It's just they haven't got time to be comfortable about their roles and us to be comfortable with the game plan that we are struggling with," he added.

Skipper Gaikwad also expressed the difficulties while playing the match without the top players

"It's a real problem (on the player missing due to injuries and Chahar walking away in the first over), there are phases where you want wickets, but you have only two bowlers, the dew took the spinners out of the equation. It was tough, but there're four games left and we will try and come back to winning ways," the Chennai opener stated.

CSK are currently placed at no.4 in the table with 10 points, with 5 wins from 10 games. The side will once again face PBKS in their next encounter and will look to settle the scores of defeat from their last match.