The search for a new head coach at Chennai Super Kings remains one of the biggest talking points ahead of the next IPL season, and former India all-rounder R Ashwin believes the franchise could once again look towards England for leadership.
CSK are entering a new era after the departure of Stephen Fleming, who ended his highly successful 17-year association with the franchise before taking over as England’s Test coach. While several names have been linked with the role, Ashwin feels former England captain Eoin Morgan could emerge as a serious contender.
“Names like Andrew Flintoff and Brendon McCullum have been doing the rounds. That’ll be a good swap to send Stephen Fleming to England and get McCullum here. Now, the ECB are fine with sharing jobs so McCullum can be England’s white-ball coach and do the same with CSK. But I have a feeling that Eoin Morgan could be that Englishman who becomes CSK’s head coach,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The former CSK spinner, who began his IPL journey with the Chennai-based franchise and returned for one final season before retirement, also stressed that appointing a head coach should be the team's immediate priority despite the ongoing buzz around player trades.
With the trade window currently open, several rumours involving CSK have surfaced, including reports linking the franchise with a possible deal involving Hardik Pandya. However, Ashwin believes such discussions should take a back seat until a new coach is in place.
“It must be remembered that the trade window is ongoing. And CSK are still without a coach. This makes discussing trade deals very hard. While there are rumors about a Hardik Pandya trade for Khaleel Ahmed and Shivam Dube, the incoming coach might feel he could extract the best out of Khaleel or Dube. Let’s not forget that Dube has played in beast mode for CSK themselves two to three years back,” he added.
Morgan, who led England to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 2019, has no prior coaching experience in the IPL. However, he is widely regarded as one of the sharpest tactical minds in modern cricket. His name joining the conversation only adds more intrigue to CSK’s hunt for Fleming’s successor.
