Former Chennai Super Kings batter Robin Uthappa believes the long-standing partnership between MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming played a crucial role in the franchise’s remarkable success over the years. CSK and Fleming recently parted ways after an association that lasted 19 years, bringing an end to one of the most successful coach-player combinations in IPL history.

Fleming joined CSK as a player in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 before taking over as head coach in 2009. He remained in the role until 2026 and guided the franchise to five IPL titles during his tenure. Dhoni, meanwhile, captained CSK from 2008 to 2023 and led the franchise to all five of those championship victories. However, after Dhoni stepped down as captain ahead of IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the leadership role while Fleming continued as head coach.

According to Robin Uthappa, CSK’s struggles following that leadership transition highlight just how important the Dhoni-Fleming combination was to the franchise. “His track record after MS gave up captaincy hasn’t been great globally, and he hasn’t achieved success. If you look deeply into that, it probably tells a story,” Uthappa said on the Commbox with Deepak Goyal YouTube channel.

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Uthappa explained that Fleming’s role alongside Dhoni was not simply about making tactical decisions. The former India batter believes Fleming excelled at managing the group, presenting Dhoni with different options and allowing the former CSK captain’s instincts to complete the decision-making process.

The formula produced outstanding results for CSK, with Fleming maintaining stability and avoiding unnecessary changes to a successful system. However, Uthappa suggested that Fleming had greater involvement in decision-making during the later years, particularly as CSK moved through a leadership transition.

CSK have missed the IPL playoffs in each of the last three seasons and endured their worst-ever campaign in 2025, finishing at the bottom of the standings.

Robin Uthappa, who played under Fleming during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, also praised the New Zealander’s coaching qualities and man-management skills. He credited Fleming’s communication, player-management approach and ability to give cricketers freedom. “He’s a very good man-manager with excellent systems and communication style. He allows players to express themselves and provides them a lot of freedom,” Uthappa said.

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Fleming also guided CSK to their fourth IPL title in 2021 during Uthappa’s time at the franchise. Despite later struggles with Joburg Super Kings, Fleming’s reputation remained strong enough for him to secure a major new role. The former New Zealand captain has since been appointed England’s Test head coach, replacing his former teammate Brendon McCullum. His next challenge will be to rebuild England’s red-ball setup after nearly two decades of remarkable success with CSK.