Fleming: "We were untidy in the field and struggled to stay accurate when under pressure."

Stephen Fleming pulls no punches after CSK’s fourth straight loss: “We were sloppy in the field”

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged an improved effort with the bat in their clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday night but didn’t mince words about his side’s fielding and bowling execution, as CSK slid to their fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2025.

For the first time in five matches, CSK's openers made it through the powerplay, with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway putting on 61 runs in 6.3 overs while chasing a daunting 220. However, the momentum faded after Ruturaj Gaikwad fell cheaply, and a sluggish middle phase saw the required rate balloon to 17 in the final four overs. MS Dhoni, promoted to No. 5, briefly reignited hope with a flurry of three sixes in his 12-ball 27, but was dismissed in the final over as CSK finished 18 runs short.

“There were some positives — we batted better,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference. “We finally had some substance from the top order, which allowed us to shape the chase. But we couldn’t maintain the scoring rate through the middle, and it became too much at the back end. That said, we stayed in the contest for longer, and that’s a step forward.”

Despite improvements with the bat, CSK’s night unravelled in the field. A string of dropped catches gifted lifelines to PBKS batters, none more costly than those given to Priyansh Arya, who turned the match with a blistering 103 off 42 balls. Arya was let off on 6 when Khaleel Ahmed couldn't hold onto a return chance in the first over, and again on 73 when Mukesh Choudhary spilled a high catch at long-off in the 12th.

The lapses didn’t end there. Rachin Ravindra dropped Shashank Singh on 38 at deep midwicket off Noor Ahmad in the 17th over, and Shashank capitalised with an unbeaten 52, lifting PBKS to 219 for 6 — with 49 of those runs coming in the last four overs.

“We lost the game in the field,” Fleming admitted. “We were sloppy, and at key moments, we lacked precision under pressure. Arya played an exceptional innings, but we’ve got to be better at shutting that down. That’s where things got away from us.”

Reflecting on the tight finish, Fleming suggested CSK weren’t too far off the mark.

“We fell short by 18 runs in a big chase — that’s three hits,” he said. “It’s been a frustrating season. Our catching has let us down, and it was poor again tonight — though both sides struggled. Whether it was the lights or something else, I don’t know, but it’s definitely a concern for us.”

Fleming also highlighted the importance of top-order contributions in a tournament like the IPL.

“If you’re going to win this competition, your top three or four have to deliver the bulk of the runs,” he said. “We haven’t done that consistently. It was encouraging to see a better start tonight, but we couldn’t sustain the momentum. Some of that was good bowling, and some of it was us pressing too hard. It’s something we’ll review. It wasn’t a bad chase — we were just a few moments short.”

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.