Chennai Super Kings have appointed former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as their new head coach ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season. The five-time IPL champions announced the appointment on Monday, with Zaheer taking over from long-serving coach Stephen Fleming.

Fleming stepped down from his CSK role in July and subsequently took charge as head coach of the England men’s Test team. Zaheer’s appointment marks his first stint as a head coach at any level.

CSK announced the move on social media with the message welcoming Zaheer as the team’s new head coach.

Zaheer Khan’s coaching experience

Zaheer has previously held senior coaching and mentoring roles in the IPL. He served as Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket from 2018 to 2022 before taking up a mentoring role with Lucknow Super Giants from August 2024 to September 2025.

He was also initially named India’s bowling coach in 2017 after Anil Kumble became head coach. Following Ravi Shastri’s appointment later that year, Zaheer’s role was changed to bowling consultant.

As a player, Zaheer represented India in 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He was India’s leading wicket-taker in the 2011 ODI World Cup, taking 21 wickets during the tournament.

Stephen Fleming’s CSK exit

Fleming had two coaching stints with Chennai Super Kings, from 2009 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2026. He left the franchise in July this year to become England’s men’s Test coach, succeeding former New Zealand teammate Brendon McCullum.

Zaheer will now oversee CSK as the franchise prepares for IPL 2027. The appointment brings an Indian former international cricketer into the team’s head coaching role following Fleming’s departure.

A brief conversation between Virat Kohli and teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the IPL 2026 final has captured the attention of cricket fans across social media.

Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign, Kohli was seen sharing words of encouragement with the Rajasthan Royals youngster, who emerged as one of the biggest stars of the season. A video of the interaction was later shared by RCB and quickly went viral.

During the conversation, Kohli praised Sooryavanshi’s achievements and reminded him that his success was built on hard work and self-belief. The veteran batter also advised the youngster not to be distracted by public opinions or outside commentary.

One line from Kohli’s message particularly resonated with fans. Referring to the Bihar-born cricketer, he said, “Ek Bihari, sab pe bhaari,” while encouraging him to continue aiming higher in his career.

Sooryavanshi enjoyed a remarkable IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals. The teenage opener finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 776 runs and secured the Orange Cap. His aggressive batting approach and consistency made him one of the standout performers of the competition.

While Kohli celebrated another IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sooryavanshi walked away with several individual accolades after a breakthrough season that established him as one of India’s most exciting young cricket talents.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night, successfully defending their Indian Premier League title with a commanding five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans. Spearheaded by an unbeaten, masterclass knock from senior batter Virat Kohli, Bengaluru comfortably tracked down the target to secure their second consecutive league trophy, joining an elite company of teams to accomplish successive tournament victories.

Earlier in the evening, Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field first. The decision bore immediate fruits as the bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, stifling Gujarat from the outset. Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill was dismissed early for just 10 runs after giving a catch off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling. His opening partner Sai Sudharsan soon followed, falling to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 12.

The Gujarat batting lineup struggled to build partnerships against a relentless attack. Jos Buttler managed 19 before being stumped off Krunal Pandya, while Nishant Sindhu contributed a brief 20. It was an unbeaten half-century from Washington Sundar, who capitalized on a dropped catch to smash 50* off 37 deliveries, that single-handedly dragged Gujarat to a competitive total of 155/8 in their allotted 20 overs. For Bengaluru, Rasikh Dar Salam was the pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of 3/27, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) kept the pressure high at the other end.

Chasing 156 for glory, Bengaluru got off to a flying start courtesy of Venkatesh Iyer, who took the attack to the bowlers with a rapid 16-ball 32, containing four boundaries and two sixes. However, Gujarat fought back with quick breakthroughs. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Devdutt Padikkal for 1, and premier spinner Rashid Khan triggered a brief panic in the Bengaluru camp by picking up two wickets in four balls, removing skipper Rajat Patidar (15) and Krunal Pandya (1) to reduce the chasing side to 89/4.

Despite the wobble and battling through physical discomfort and cramps, Kohli anchored the innings with absolute authority. He accelerated at the right moments, bringing up the fastest half-century of his tournament career off just 25 deliveries. A late 24-run cameo from Tim David brought the defending champions closer before he fell to Arshad Khan.

Ultimately, Kohli wrapped up the chase in style with two overs to spare, remaining unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls, punctuated by nine boundaries and three sixes. Jitesh Sharma remained alongside him on 11* as Bengaluru finished at 161/5, sparking ecstatic celebrations in the dugout.