CSK coach Fleming blames pitch conditions for loss of home advantage at Chepauk
Chennai's failure to adapt to the conditions meant they fell short of their target of 197 runs, leaving them to reflect on a disappointing performance at home.
Chennai Super Kings' coach Stephen Fleming has expressed frustration over his team's inability to adapt to the pitch conditions at Chepauk, which has deprived them of any home advantage in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
On Friday, 28th March 2025, Chennai suffered their biggest defeat at home in terms of runs when Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated them by 50 runs. This was Bengaluru's first victory at Chepauk since the league's inception in 2008.
Speaking after the match, Fleming revealed his disappointment, stating: "As we've been saying for several years now, there's no real home advantage at Chepauk." He went on to explain that the team had struggled with the pitch conditions over the last few years. "We haven't been able to read the wickets here recently. It's nothing new, but we are working hard to understand them each day, and it's been tough."
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Fleming also noted that Chennai's spinners were ineffective, while Josh Hazlewood's outstanding pace bowling helped Bengaluru secure their win. "It's not the Chepauk of old, where we could play with four spinners," said the former New Zealand captain. "We're having to work much harder to understand the nature of each pitch, and it's proving to be quite different."
Adding to the challenge, Fleming noted that the expected dew did not materialise during the second innings. "We thought the dew would set in and the ball would skid on, but it actually became a bit tacky. It made batting much more difficult," he said.
