Brendon McCullum called Stephen Fleming “like me but better” after Fleming replaced him as England’s Test coach. Now that Fleming has left Chennai Super Kings after 18 years, the same relationship that sent Fleming to England could send McCullum to Chennai.
“I had a great time those four years, but obviously now it’s heading in a different direction. Stephen Fleming will be excellent. I think he’s a little bit like me but better.”
Brendon McCullum, Sky Sports interview at The Hundred, August 6, 2026
McCullum was removed as England’s Test coach in July 2026 after a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand. His record stood at 27 wins, 2 draws, and 20 defeats in 49 Tests. The ECB split the coaching setup, keeping McCullum in charge of England’s white-ball teams while appointing Fleming to lead the Test side.
Fleming’s appointment came weeks after he parted ways with CSK. The franchise ended their 18-year association after CSK finished eighth in IPL 2026, Texas Super Kings finished last in MLC 2026, and Joburg Super Kings failed to reach a SA20 final in four seasons. Fleming had guided CSK to five IPL titles and two CLT20 trophies, but three years without a title forced the separation.
Brendon McCullum gives his approval to Stephen Fleming as his successor as England Men’s Test coach 🤝 pic.twitter.com/TeDzonjbnd
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 6, 2026
McCullum did not just accept Fleming’s appointment. He actively backed it. He praised the ECB for landing a coach with options around the world and called Fleming’s commitment to English cricket “an outstanding achievement.” The two speak almost every day.
“I trust him completely and we have good robust conversations. Both of us just want what’s right for English cricket.”
Brendon McCullum, Sky Sports interview at The Hundred, August 6, 2026
That level of public endorsement from the outgoing coach is rare. It helped smooth Fleming’s transition into a dressing room that had operated under McCullum’s methods for four years. Fleming walked into a ready-made environment partly because McCullum made it easy.
The question now is whether that favor runs both ways.
🚨 Brendom Mcullum helped Fleming secure the England coaching role , Fleming might help Mcullum secure the CSK coaching role
( Cricbuzz Article attached ) pic.twitter.com/Tn2MVbzZoy
— Sanju ☢️ (@SixerSanju) August 10, 2026
Who Will Be CSK’s Next Head Coach?
CSK are actively searching for Fleming’s replacement ahead of IPL 2027. CEO Kasi Viswanathan and director Rupa Gurunath are set to finalize the appointment after meeting MS Dhoni and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Viswanathan has indicated the franchise wants an overseas coach.
Mike Hussey, Albie Morkel, and Adam Voges are among the candidates being assessed. Hemang Badani’s name surfaced early, but CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has since stated the franchise wants an overseas coach. McCullum has not been officially named as a contender, but his profile fits the brief.
McCullum knows the franchise. He played 28 matches for CSK across the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons, scoring 841 runs at a strike rate of 137.20. He scored a century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2015 and formed a productive opening partnership with Dwayne Smith. He experienced the CSK culture firsthand, working under Fleming’s coaching and Dhoni’s captaincy.
McCullum’s England white-ball contract runs until the 2027 World Cup, but IPL coaching and international coaching operate on different calendars. The ECB’s split coaching model already acknowledges that coaches can hold franchise roles alongside England duties. Fleming himself held the CSK job while being linked to international opportunities for years.
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Fleming’s influence inside CSK is not just about what he did on the field. Over 18 years, he built relationships with the ownership group, with Dhoni, with the scouting setup. He understood how the franchise thinks, what they value, how decisions get made. If Fleming picks up the phone and tells the CSK management that McCullum is the right man for the job, that recommendation carries more weight than any interview or CV. In professional cricket, the call from someone the owners already trust is the real selection process. Formal applications come second.
But there is a real question underneath this. CSK’s coaching philosophy was built by Dhoni and Fleming together over nearly two decades. It is calm, methodical, built on reading senior players and managing egos across a two-month window. McCullum’s instinct is different. His coaching identity is Bazball: aggression, taking the game on, encouraging risk. International Test cricket rewarded that boldness for a period. Franchise cricket, especially at CSK, rewards patience and the ability to let experienced players operate within their own methods. If McCullum gets the CSK job through Fleming’s influence, the real test will not be whether he can pick the right XI. It will be whether he can coach the CSK way, or whether he tries to build something new inside a culture that was never designed for reinvention.
McCullum’s public backing of Fleming was not just generosity. It revealed a relationship where both men actively help each other’s careers. Fleming stepped into the England role with McCullum’s full endorsement. If CSK’s search leads them to McCullum, it will not be because of a job listing. It will be because Fleming made the same call for him.
Sources:
[Sky Sports interview, August 6, 2026] Sky Sports Cricket
Also Read:
- Fleming Appointed England Test Coach With Root as Captain
- Brendon McCullum Removed as England Men’s Test Coach
- Harmison: McCullum’s White-Ball Role Is the Elephant in the Room
- Darren Lehmann: ECB Had Already Decided McCullum’s Replacement
- Vaughan: ECB Had No Contingency for McCullum
- Broad on ECB Test Coach Succession
- Ashwin on Dhoni as CSK Head Coach
