'We'll see who wins IPL in the end': CSK coach Stephen Fleming loses temper after first home loss to RCB since 2008

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming didn't mince his words as he said his team have "no home advantage" at Chepauk. His words came following CSK's heavy 50-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 8 of the 2025 edition of the IPL at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming lost his cool after being asked about the franchise's style of cricket(Screengrab - BCCI Video)

The head coach was clearly not in a great mood after the loss as he engaged in a back-and-forth with a reporter after not being too happy with a question that was asked regarding the brand of cricket the franchise plays.

The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side stumbled to a 50-run loss against RCB after CSK failed to chase down 197. As a result, the Bengaluru-based franchise registered their first win in Chennai since the tournament's inaugural edition in 2008.

During the post-match press conference, a reporter asked Fleming, "In the first game, you chased 156 in almost 20 overs. Today, you scored 146. I know this is your way of playing cricket, but do you think it's kind of getting outdated?"

To this, Fleming snapped back, saying, "What do you mean by my way of playing?" The journalist then tried to reason with him regarding the other teams going hell for leather and posting big runs on the board.

However, the former New Zealand opening batter was not pleased. He angrily responded, "You talk about firepower. We have got firepower all the way through. I don't understand this question. Just because we don't swing from ball No.1 and have some luck go our way, just see the end, who wins it. It is a positive brand of cricket. Don't discount us."

The exchange did not stop here as the reporter tried to present his side of the argument. "I am not discounting you." To this, Fleming replied, "You sort of are. Silly question."

'CSK have no home advantage'

Stephen Fleming also said that his side has not been able to read the pitches in Chennai for quite some time now, so he believes there is no "home advantage."

"Well, as we've been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk. We've won away from home a couple of times. And we haven't been able to read… we've been really honest with you," said Fleming during the post-match press conference.

"We haven't been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years. So, it's not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don't know. It's not the Chepauk [of old] where you can just go in and play four spinners. We're having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it's quite different," he added.

In the 2024 edition of the tournament, the pitches in Chennai did not assist spinners much, which has been CSK's traditional strength. The pacers took 74 wickets, while spinners claimed only 25 at the venue last season.

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