Chennai Super Kings on Monday appointed former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as their new head coach ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season, handing him the responsibility of succeeding Stephen Fleming after one of the longest coaching tenures in the competition’s history.
Zaheer, 47, takes over after Fleming and CSK mutually parted ways in July, ending an association that stretched back to the inaugural IPL season in 2008. Fleming had served as head coach since 2009. The appointment represents a significant change in CSK’s coaching structure as the five-time IPL champions look to rebuild following three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
Zaheer succeeds Fleming
Fleming joined CSK as a player for the inaugural IPL season before moving into the head coach’s role the following year. His partnership with the franchise went on to become one of the most enduring in T20 cricket.
Under Fleming, CSK won five IPL titles — in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 — along with two Champions League T20 trophies. The franchise also reached 10 IPL finals and qualified for the playoffs 12 times during his tenure. However, results dipped following the 2023 title triumph, with Chennai failing to reach the playoffs in each of the next three seasons. Fleming and the franchise subsequently announced in July that they had mutually decided to part ways.
Zaheer now becomes the first new head coach appointed by CSK since Fleming assumed the position 17 years ago.
Vast IPL experience
Although Zaheer’s reputation was built primarily through his international career with India, he has accumulated considerable experience in IPL management and coaching roles since retiring from competitive cricket.
The former left-arm pacer previously worked with Mumbai Indians in senior cricket-management positions, including as director of cricket operations and global head of cricket development. He later joined Lucknow Super Giants as mentor ahead of the 2025 IPL season, taking on a broader role that involved the team’s cricketing strategy and bowling setup. His move to CSK therefore marks another major assignment in his post-playing career and places him in charge of one of the IPL’s most successful franchises.
India career spanned 14 years
Zaheer represented India in 92 Tests, 200 One-Day Internationals and 17 T20 Internationals between 2000 and 2014, establishing himself as the country’s leading fast bowler for a substantial part of that period. He finished his international career with 610 wickets across formats, including 311 in Tests and 282 in ODIs. Zaheer was also central to India’s victorious 2011 ODI World Cup campaign, finishing as the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets.
His IPL playing career included spells with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. He took 102 wickets in 100 IPL matches and also captained Delhi during the latter stages of his playing career.
New phase at CSK
Zaheer’s arrival comes as CSK navigate a wider transition after a difficult run since their fifth championship in 2023. The franchise has traditionally relied on continuity in both its playing group and coaching structure, making the first change at the head-coach level since 2009 particularly significant. Zaheer will now oversee preparations for IPL 2027 as CSK attempt to reshape their squad and return to the playoffs.
His experience working across bowling development, player recruitment and franchise strategy is expected to form an important part of the team’s planning as Chennai begin the post-Fleming era.