Fleming was questioned regarding his perception of the tension and his reasoning for it. Because of their four championships, CSK is second only to the Mumbai Indians, who have five. Then, shouldn’t they exude an air of intimidation?
We acknowledge the challenges involved in reaching this point. We are proud of our track record of consistency because of this, continues the CSK head coach.
Even though the Chennai Super Kings are playing in their tenth IPL final, they still seem a little uneasy. Prior to Sunday, when they host Gujarat Titans at home in Ahmedabad, their head coach, Stephen Fleming, thinks that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
At the pre-final press conference, Fleming said, “We’re excited, but there’s a little nervousness as well. There was a lot of work involved in getting to this point, but it’s a big stage and an important occasion. We’re pleased with the work we’ve accomplished and excited about the chance. “
“It’s difficult not to look too far ahead because it’s such a significant occasion and even though the game doesn’t change, the outcome does, according to Fleming.” Everyone, from the coach to a player who hasn’t taken the field, wants to win it again. “Our goal from the beginning was to take part in that [final]. One of the biggest challenges as the tournament draws to a close is trying to keep that excitement in check and try to stay in the moment.”
“Gujarat, one of the most reliable teams in the competition, will require us to be very present. Although we can’t afford to dream too big because they are such a good side, this is the reason we are in this place. A good thing to have, it’s just how you deal with them in your system. The excitement levels and nerves of the big stage slowly simmer away.”
“We put in a lot of effort toward that. There are some good people in our immediate vicinity. We’re excited about the challenge, but I suppose you need to be a little anxious and nervous to perform at your best. It depends on how you handle that and how quickly you can sync into the game. We intend to try to accomplish that. “
Fleming continued by discussing why winning the IPL is so challenging. Although it may initially appear that he is being modest, as he revealed the many facets of managing a team, including the emotions, outcomes, and maintaining equilibrium, it became clear why he and MS Dhoni keep emphasizing “process” as a buzzword.
It’s a lengthy process, Fleming said to begin. “What I will say is that every year, the difference between success and failure has gotten smaller and smaller. When you reflect on the past, you can see that there were a number of games that might have gone differently, whether we were ninth [in 2022] or seventh [in 2020]. Maybe a strong performance or a last-ball win. Therefore, they are relatively insignificant turning points that determine where you land on the log.”
“It’s just getting closer and closer as teams become more knowledgeable about the players they select or the environments in which they play. Similar to last year, this year has been the hardest. It seems like an incredibly challenging challenge to face off against each team. The thing we’re most proud of is our ability to recover from bad seasons.”
“How we finish a poor season has something to do with it, in a way. We don’t dismiss it; instead, we always look for the good things and give players chances that we can incorporate into the upcoming season. When a season is successful, there are many lessons to be learned, but there are also many more lessons to be learned when it is unsuccessful. We therefore constantly strive to improve.”
“We are honest about how difficult it is to get to this point. We are pleased with our track record of reliability over a long period of time because of this. Whether we were in good form, bad form, or had new players, we were still able to put together performances under pressure. This competition’s biggest challenge is having to disband a new team that is performing exceptionally well when you can only keep four players. We are very proud of ourselves for being able to follow those rules consistently over the years. “
Fleming also emphasized how playing on various types of surfaces in Chennai this time, rather than just the one type of surface they are used to at home, has prepared them to be a better team away from home.
According to Fleming, “[in the past] we geared ourselves up for Chennai so well that we occasionally struggled in different conditions in the away games.” “So, the finals are always a little challenging. Our finals record is about 50% [won four, lost five].
We had to make adjustments when we went to a neutral venue as a result of how good we were at home. We had to be more well-rounded this year because of the circumstance. It was difficult (in terms of the weather) to return to Chennai this season.
In the match against Mumbai, I wanted to bowl first, but MS wanted it the other way, and in Qualifier 1, it was the other way around.
Therefore, our attempts to create the ideal conditions were a complete failure, but this time, the team is well-rounded enough to put together performances when the competition gets to the finals. We’re not overly concerned about the circumstances. Compared to before, we’re in a much better mental state now. ”
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