Chennai Super Kings have announced former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as the team’s head coach for IPL 2027. He succeeded Stephen Fleming, who had been in the role for 16 years and helped deliver five IPL titles.

According to CSK managing director Kasi Viswanathan, Zaheer’s name was discussed and agreed upon by the team’s leadership group. “We wanted to get the views of the cricket management including MS Dhoni, Ruturaj [Gaikwad] and Sanju [Samson],” Viswanathan told Cricinfo. “There were a lot of discussions with the owners also.”

Zaheer’s contract will be a year long and he is expected to start his role soon. The IPL retention window normally is November though franchises have not been given any firm date.

Zaheer, who had a 14-year competitive cricket career capped by an ODI World Cup win in 2011, was recently with Lucknow Super Giants as their mentor until September 2025. He was with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022, first as director of cricket operations and later global head of development, once the owners diversified and bought T20 teams around the world. The CSK job will be his first as head coach.

Viswanathan said Zaheer did not go through any interview process and “readily” agreed to take up the new role. While the franchise has not made any statement yet on the future of the rest of the coaching bench from last season including long-term pair of Eric Simmons and Michael Hussey, Viswanthan said Zaheer has been given the authority to pick “his own coaching staff”.

“It’s an honour to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL,” Zaheer said in a CSK press release on Monday. “As a cricketer, I have faced CSK on the field and have thoroughly enjoyed the contests. The atmosphere created by the Superfans at Chepauk make it even more special. I can’t wait to join the legacy franchise with such a rich history.”

Zaheer enjoyed successive title-winning seasons working with head coach Mahela Jayawardene at MI in 2019 and 2020. He played 100 IPL matches, picked up 102 wickets and was part of two finals, 2010 and 2011, losing both to CSK. Apart from his vast experience of playing and coaching in IPL, the CSK management and leadership group is certain Zaheer would be “a lot of help” to development of the team’s bowlers.

CSK have had a difficult time in the IPL recently. They are yet to make the playoffs since winning the title three years ago in Dhoni’s final season as full-time captain, and a bottom-placed finish in 2025 prompted a change in the way they function. A franchise that put a lot of faith in experienced players now turned to young players and unproven talent. They brought in the likes of Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis and Kartik Sharma but success on the field remained elusive. Fleming, who had been with CSK since 2008 – first as a player then as coach – stepped down as head coach in July 2026 after the team finished eighth in the league with six wins and eight losses.

The CSK owners also have teams in the SA20 and Major League Cricket in the USA that were coached by Fleming. While Albie Morkel has been announced as the Joburg Super Kings coach, they are yet to announce a coach for Texas Super Kings. Viswanathan said Zaheer’s role would be restricted to just the IPL.