After Chennai Super Kings fell short in a run-chase for the third consecutive time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged the team’s struggles in chasing down targets and said that these losses were frustrating.

“We are looking to find the formula that will get us over the line. We are certainly well aware of the chasing stat. We are focusing, bowling-wise, to restrict teams below that, but we do need to be better with the bat. We need to have one or two players in form, predominantly in the top three or four. You look at the teams that are doing well and you see that the majority of runs are getting scored through the top three or top four. A little bit more run-production there allows the power-hitters to come at the right spots. We haven’t been able to introduce players at the right time. Six to 15 to 20-run losses are annoying,” Fleming lamented after Super Kings lost to Delhi Capitals by 25 runs at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday.

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Chasing 184, CSK lost the plot in the PowerPlay again, scoring 46 runs for the loss of three wickets. In IPL 2025, Super Kings currently have the lowest run rate and average, and they tried to make amends by bringing back Devon Conway in place of Rahul Tripathi.

However, the move didn’t pay off as Conway was dismissed for a sluggish 14-ball 13 in the final over of the PowerPlay, after both Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad were back in the hut.

While Gaikwad has dropped to No. 3 in this season, Fleming hinted that the skipper could return to his preferred position at the top if CSK’s poor starts continued.

“The question of Ruturaj going back to open will be one we will keep looking at,” Fleming said during the post-match press conference.

The former New Zealand skipper believes that the team has gone too hard in the PowerPlay this year, and backs experience to tweak the approach, especially in difficult conditions.

“We felt our batting in the PowerPlays was below par, and going too hard was probably not the way, particularly on a wicket that was a little bit tricky. We were looking to settle that with guys who are in good form and have done it before.”

A string of losses may have sparked criticism of CSK’s penchant for gunning for experience over youth, but Fleming made it clear that he wasn’t going to flip a template that has won the franchise five titles.

“I am a fan of experience. Big players, traditionally, will stand up during the tournament. When they do, the younger players can play the cameos. We back experience, and over the years, it has stood us in good stead. It’s not like we don’t like young players, but we like consistency and the ability to problem-solve. More experienced players tend to be able to do that more often.”