Adaptability will be key: CSK coach Fleming

Having served a cliffhanger in the IPL 2019 summit clash, four-time title-winner Mumbai and thrice champion Chennai deserve to feature in this season’s starter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, according to CSK head coach Stephen Fleming.

“We have earned the right to be in the first game by playing well last year. Given the way the IPL 2019 final finished, it is nice to have another crack at MI. The first match is always full of anxiety, nerves and excitement. CSK versus MI games have extra excitement as well as pressure, and we enjoy that,” Fleming was quoted as saying by the Super Kings website.

“Mumbai is a very good side. The opener gives you a good gauge as to how the pre-season went. After the first match, you get a good idea of where your team is and the areas that need improvement,” said the 47-year-old Kiwi.

Since setting foot in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), MS Dhoni-captained Super Kings has been fine-tuning its skills in its base Dubai, and Sharjah. But, CSK will travel to an uncharted territory in Abu Dhabi, for the contest against Mumbai. Fleming admitted that assessing the conditions, without prior experience, would be a real test on the matchday. “We have to be very good. We have to see the wicket and pick the right combination. Picking the right side for the right condition is one of the biggest challenges. And, we have a good record at that,” he stressed. CSK skipper Dhoni, 39, decided to leave the international cricket scene last month and is left only with IPL duty.

Fleming said that the former India captain is raring to perform well in the T20 league. “MS is fit. Mentally, he has been engaged and determined. In some ways, the coronavirus-enforced break can work for the experienced and older players we have at Super Kings. Dhoni is fresh and ready to go,” he added. Shifted out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entirety of IPL 2020 will he held across only three venues – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

The CSK chief stated that the 13th season would be tactically different from the ones in the past. “With no real home advantage, we have to be good at adapting to the conditions. We have got three different grounds and each venue has its own character and nuances. It is like every game is away from home,” explained Fleming.