Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are reportedly close to finalise another coaching staff member ahead of the upcoming IPL 2027 season. Former England off-spinner Gareth Batty is likely to join the five-time IPL champions as their batting coach, with discussions between the two sides already underway.
CSK have recently appointed the former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan as their head coach, while Mohit Sharma was roped in as the bowling coach ahead of the IPL 2027 auction. Now, the franchise is searching to fill the position of the batting coach.
Gareth Batty set to become CSK batting coach
A Times of India report revealed that former England off-spinner Gareth Batty and the Chennai Super Kings are close to sealing the deal to replace Michael Hussey as the batting coach ahead of the IPL 2027.
It is being said that the 49-year-old Batty shares a good relationship with CSK head coach Zaheer Khan, having played together for Worcestershire in the county cricket, and this connection might play a big role in bringing the former England off-spinner on the board.
Interestingly, the CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that talks with Batty are in progress, and an official announcement could be made within the next few days.
Viswanathan was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “We are in discussions with him. The negotiations are underway, and an announcement is likely in a couple of days.”
Gareth Batty’s impressive playing and coaching record
Meanwhile, Gareth Batty has represented England in nine Test matches, 10 ODIs and one T20I. In domestic cricket, he played 261 First-Class matches, claiming 682 wickets and scoring an impressive 7,399 runs as a useful lower-order batter.
The former England cricketer is currently the head coach of Surrey in the County Championship and has built a strong record with the team. Under his guidance, Surrey won the County Championship title three times in a row before finishing second last year.
Batty too, has been influential in bringing through young Surrey talent. Several players, including Gus Atkinson, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith, earned Test call-ups during his time as head coach at Surrey. If the deal goes through, CSK will have an experienced coach on the board.
CSK-owned Joburg Super Kings face Kieron Pollard blow
Earlier, Kieron Pollard has reportedly pulled out of the upcoming SA20 season after being appointed Mumbai Indians’ head coach for IPL 2027. As reported by Cricbuzz, Pollard has informed Joburg Super Kings that he will not be available for the tournament.
His decision comes just a day after the Mumbai Indians announced his promotion from batting coach to head coach on October 24. Pollard was picked up by Joburg Super Kings for R1.5 million during the SA20 auction on October 7. However, he has now withdrawn from the competition, avoiding a possible clash of interests in franchise cricket.
This is an interesting thing because the Joburg Super Kings are owned by the Chennai Super Kings group, while the Mumbai Indians’ owners also run MI Cape Town in the SA20. Pollard has previously played for MI Cape Town in the tournament.
