Chennai Super Kings are in search of a new head coach after Stephen Fleming decided to step down from his position following 16 years at the helm of the franchise. The vacancy has attracted plenty of attention, with former England captain Eoin Morgan being considered a frontrunner for the post.

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hinted that several parties close to Chennai Super Kings have been consistently lobbying for Morgan's appointment. R Ashwin stated that the Royal Challengers Bangalore opener could be named the new head coach within a week. However, CSK has yet to formally confirm Morgan's candidature or timeline for his appointment.

R Ashwin Reveals What He Has Heard About Eoin Morgan and CSK

Ashwin was open regarding his analysis, citing his sources in the franchise, and gave a possible transition plan in case Eoin Morgan takes the CSK head coach position.

“I have a very strong feeling that Eoin Morgan's name is very close to the CSK head coach post as per my sources. I think a call will be taken within the next week. Personally, I think it will go to MS Dhoni, and it will be handled by the rest. I feel a decision on this would be taken as soon as possible as retaining a replacement for Fleming just does not seem wise, given the mega auction is due to happen after a year,” Ashwin explained on his YouTube.

Morgan has had multiple stints of leadership in his cricketing career. He led England to their first-ever ODI World Cup win in 2019, and had also captained Kolkata Knight Riders in the final stretch of the 2020 IPL season and the entire 2021 season.

While Morgan has led KKR to the 2021 IPL final, finishing as the runners-up against CSK, he has not had a full-scale captaincy role in professional cricket since.

Ashwin also mentioned that Nathan Laemon, an ex-data analyst with the England setup during Morgan's captaincy period, could fill in as a staff member with CSK if Eoin Morgan were to join the franchise as head coach.

What could be the transition plan for CSK?

As per Ashwin's report, CSK could possibly adopt a transition mode due to the timing of both Fleming's exit and the IPL scheduling.

Ashwin felt that Dhoni could lead CSK in the 2027 IPL season as an interim coach while Eoin Morgan takes over ahead of the 2028 mega auction. However, it must be noted that this has not been confirmed by CSK and is just Ashwin's speculation based on his sources.

The timing of this transition period is also crucial for CSK, who are now set to enter into a crucial phase of player planning for the next few years. This move also marks one of the most surprising shifts for one of the most consistent franchises in IPL history, who had retained Fleming as their head coach for 16 long years after he took over in 2008.

As of now, Eoin Morgan's association with CSK has only been speculated by Ashwin's report. As such, as of August 13, no formal announcement has been made by either Morgan or CSK, and no certain date of appointment has been specified.