Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have officially appointed former India pace bowler Zaheer Khan as their head coach for the IPL 2027 season. Historic Milestone: Zaheer Khan becomes the first Indian head coach in CSK’s history and only the third head coach overall, following Kepler Wessels (2008) and Stephen Fleming (2009–2026).End of the Fleming Era: Stephen Fleming stepped down after 18 years with the franchise, a tenure that yielded five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies. First Head Coaching Role: While Zaheer previously served in executive and mentorship capacities with Mumbai Indians (Director of Cricket Operations / Global Head of Development) and Lucknow Super Giants (Mentor), this marks his first official stint as a franchise head coach. Structural Reset: The appointment follows three consecutive seasons in which CSK missed the IPL playoffs, leading the franchise management and MS Dhoni to push for an Indian head coach to oversee their transition. 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.