Former England captain Eoin Morgan has confirmed that he turned down head coaching offers from Chennai Super Kings and another IPL franchise ahead of the 2027 season. The World Cup-winning captain is comfortable continuing his career in broadcasting and commentary instead of taking up a coaching role.
Chennai Super Kings have appointed former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan as their new head coach following Stephen Fleming’s departure after an 18-year association with the franchise. The five-time IPL champions have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons since their title-winning 2023 campaign.
MS Dhoni Plays Key Role in Zaheer Khan’s CSK Appointment
MS Dhoni remains closely involved in CSK’s major cricketing decisions despite not featuring in a single game during the 2026 season. The franchise waited for MS Dhoni to return from the United States before finalizing the new head coach.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed that the decision came from the franchise’s cricketing leadership rather than its administrative team. Dhoni discussed the appointment with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad before consulting owner Rupa Gurunath.
“It was not an administrative decision. The cricket committee decided this. It was MS’s suggestion. He spoke to captain Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad) and both had a discussion with owner Rupa (Gurunath) and thus the decision was arrived at,” Kasi Viswanathan told Cricbuzz.
The franchise has traditionally maintained a calm environment, with players and support staff operating without lengthy post-match reviews or excessive celebrations.
Eoin Morgan Turns Down CSK Head Coach Offer
CSK had considered several candidates after Stephen Fleming left, including overseas options. Eoin Morgan was among those approached, but the former England captain decided to remain focused on his broadcasting and commentary career. Notably, one more franchise other than CSK reached out to the England World Cup-winning skipper, but he is not interested in taking over the job.
Morgan has no previous experience as an international or franchise head coach. However, he captained Kolkata Knight Riders in 24 IPL matches across 2020 and 2021, winning 11 games and helping the franchise finish runners-up in IPL 2021.
CSK also considered batting coach Mike Hussey for the head coach position. However, Hussey is expected to continue in his current role for now.
Zaheer Khan has also worked in mentoring and coaching roles with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, giving him experience in different IPL environments.
MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan Reunite as CSK Look to Rebuild
Zaheer Khan and MS Dhoni have a long history together in Indian cricket. The pair played 164 international matches together across formats between 2004 and 2014, including several major ICC tournaments.
Zaheer’s IPL coaching career began with Mumbai Indians, where he worked from 2018 to 2023. During that period, MI won two IPL titles. He later joined Lucknow Super Giants as a mentor ahead of the 2025 season.
There has been speculation over a possible trade involving Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians, but Kasi Viswanathan indicated that discussions had not reached that stage with Zaheer.
The new Dhoni-Ruturaj-Zaheer leadership combination will have several decisions to make before IPL 2027, including squad composition, player retention and the franchise’s wider coaching strategy.
