Dhoni’s absence has an impact on team and captaincy says coach Fleming

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Stephen Fleming with CSK skipper MS Dhoni during a training session

Chennai Super Kings coach, on Saturday, said that not having Dhoni on the field has an impact on how the team performs and on the captaincy. However, his side did well in the last match.

“Whenever a great player who is in good form is not in your team, it has an impact on the team as well as the captaincy. You have to make adjustments. But it does not mean that we are not competitive. We still turned out a very good side in the last game and still got well beaten.” Fleming told the reporters on the eve of their IPL match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Fleming added that Dhoni and Bravo will be assessed at the end of the training to find if they are match fit.

On CSK having a core group of players and support staff, Fleming said that the team likes to give players an extended run because their form is measured differently in T20.

“We tend to look at the shorter format quite separately. We tend to give guys more chances because we are asking them to play a high-risk game. So it is unfair to look at form after two or three innings, both bowling and batting wise,” Fleming said.

“The selection policy of the team is more conservative than others, but it tries to get the right team for any condition, which is a challenge in away matches,” he added.

“We are a little bit more settled at home, which is how it should be. But when we travel away we set to work hard on making sure we get the balance between seam bowlers and spinners. That is the simplistic way we look at selecting sides and we’re pretty conservative with the emphasis on cohesion.”

Fleming expects a high-scoring game against the RCB in Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday, which means there will be more pressure on both the batsmen and the bowlers.

“It is obviously overcast and a little bit damp around, so you need to wait 24 hours, it is going to change a lot in nature. I think it will be a good track, possibly a high-scoring game which is what we expect. So, pressure on bowlers, but also batters as well,” the New Zealander said.

“We will read the pitch tomorrow, but one cannot assume it is going to be 200 versus 200,” he said.

Fleming, while talking about the leggie Imran Tahir said that he has been more consistent this year, unlike previous years.

“This year he has been very consistent and very clear on what he wants to do. He has been our chief wicket-taker. And the way he has done it within the camp please us a lot. His discipline and ability to deliver what we want has been outstanding,” Fleming said.

“At times, he has been guilty of hunting wickets, which means he bowls a different style,” the CSK coach concluded.