BCCI Asks MS Dhoni for Help to Convince Former New Zealand Player to Take Over from Rahul Dravid. MS Dhoni’s advice could be important in picking the next coach for Team India. Now that the IPL is done for Dhoni, the BCCI might ask for his help to sort out issues between the board and CSK head coach Stephen Fleming.
Fleming, who had a good cricket career and led New Zealand in many matches, is the longest-serving coach in the IPL. The board wanted him to take over as India’s head coach after the T20 World Cup. But Fleming hasn’t agreed to commit until 2027. The ex-New Zealand captain has been leading CSK since 2009.
He likes coaching for short periods in different teams owned by the franchise in different T20 leagues around the world. Apart from coaching Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Stephen Fleming also manages teams like Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (USA) and Joburg Super Kings in SA20 (South Africa).
Besides, he coaches the Southern Brave in The Hundred. Even though Fleming works with four different teams in four different leagues, the short length of the tournaments allows him to spend a lot of time with his family. If he agrees to the BCCI’s offer, he’ll have to travel for almost the whole year, except for the two months during the IPL.
Also Read: IPL 2024: What Went Wrong With Mumbai Indians? Was It Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy?
Sources say Fleming talked about this with the BCCI at the start of the IPL. After that, the BCCI began looking at other choices like Justin Langer, Gautam Gambhir, and Mahela Jayawardene. Even though talks with them are still happening, the board hasn’t given up on Fleming yet. Dhoni might be their last hope.
A source from the BCCI said Fleming hasn’t rejected the offer but has concerns about the contract length, which is normal. Even Rahul Dravid had doubts initially but was convinced later. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if the same happens with Fleming. The BCCI believes MS Dhoni is the right person to convince him.
Dhoni and Fleming have been close since the first IPL season in 2008 when Dhoni played under Fleming’s captaincy at CSK. They’ve had a strong bond since then and are good friends off the field. They’ve always been together in the IPL, even when they played for the Rising Pune Supergiant team during CSK’s suspension.
The people in charge at the BCCI think that if anyone can persuade Fleming to accept the challenge, it’s Dhoni. The source also mentioned that while it wasn’t appropriate to approach Dhoni during the IPL, it might be worth trying now.
