Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey has said that their team's focus is still to win all the remaining matches as they take on Punjab Kings in their tenth fixture of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025).
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00:00Possibly. I think the goal is still to try and win all the matches. That's the number one goal.
00:06And then along the way, if we can give opportunities to players along the way, then that will be very good as well.
00:14We're already giving opportunities to some new players. Obviously, Shaikh Rasheed, Ayusha's getting opportunities.
00:21Sam Curran batting number three opportunities. So, you know, new players are getting opportunities.
00:27Lots of thinking, lots of planning, I guess. One, for the rest of this season, but then also for future seasons as well.
00:34So, it's exciting. It's exciting for different players to get opportunities.
00:38But, as I said, still the main focus is to try and win all the matches. That's our number one goal.
00:43Do you believe a left-right combination? A top-of-the-order left-right combination?
00:48Not necessarily. I think it depends.
00:51If you've got the right person to have a left-hand-right-hand combination, the right combination, then that's fine.
00:59But if it's two right-handers or two left-handers, I'm not too bothered.
01:01But in a perfect world, yes, you'd have a left and a right-hand combination. We'd be good.
01:06Mike, this has been a season where CSK had to make a lot of changes, very unlike of the franchise, especially in the batting line-up.
01:16What kind of conversation do you have with, say, you know, Ratchin or Huda?
01:20They have tried hard, no matter whatever they try, it's not working.
01:24So, how do you deal with it in terms of conversation with them?
01:28It's a good question. I mean, yeah, it has been disappointing in that front that we haven't been able to fire as much as we would have liked.
01:33I actually have to really take my hat off to those guys you mentioned, both Ratchin and Huda.
01:40Their attitude has been first class, you know.
01:43Obviously disappointed to come in and out of the team, but they could have easily have just complained and moaned
01:51and just not been interested for the rest of the season.
01:53But their attitude towards training and improving has been unbelievable.
01:58I mean, just watching Deepak Huda go about his work over the last few weeks,
02:02even when some younger players were getting an opportunity ahead of him,
02:05he was genuinely happy for the new players coming in.
02:08And I think that speaks volumes of his character.
02:12He's just got to work at training. He's looked to improve.
02:15He's looked to put himself in situations at training that hopefully he's going to replicate in the match.
02:20And so I've been really impressed with his attitude.
02:22And I was really happy, actually, that he got an opportunity to play in the last match.
02:28And, you know, he did a decent job.
02:30It wasn't an easy situation to play in.
02:33So I was really happy for him.
02:35Ratchin, yeah, he has spoken a lot about he had a choice.
02:39He could either just be angry and grumpy about not getting, you know, getting left out of the team.
02:45Or he can use this last three or four weeks or whatever it is to improve his game, work on some new shots.
02:52If he gets to play again, then fantastic.
02:54If he doesn't, then he still wants to use this time to improve his game.
02:58Again, it speaks volumes of his character.
03:01And so, you know, I've been really impressed because it has been a difficult season in that front,
03:06unlike CSK to change so much.
03:08But I think we've learned a lot of lessons.
03:11A lot of lessons on two fronts.
03:15One, on the character of some of the players.
03:17And then two, on what we need to do and what we need to really sort of strengthen up next season.
03:25Yeah.
03:25Hi, Huss.
03:26Like, you and Phlegm have worked with a lot of international players in head to unlock new gears and new dimensions.
03:31So the batting nub, you have a younger crop like Previs and Matre who are doing well.
03:35But Phlegm also sort of spoke about doing some work outside of the academy, sort of having those practice matches.
03:40Could you just talk about how you sort of nurture these talents and sort of, in terms of going ahead,
03:45sort of do you sort of keep in touch with them off season as well since these are like not international,
03:49so just coming into your team now, right?
03:51Yeah, sure.
03:52Good question.
03:53I mean, I think it's one area that we've really looked, identified that we want to improve on
03:58is that talent identification side of things.
04:00So we have had different players come in and train with us at various stages, almost on trial a little bit,
04:07but also for when their names come up for an auction, then at least we've seen them.
04:12We've had eyes on them.
04:13I mean, we get sent all the videos, packages and stuff, but to be able to actually watch them in the flesh,
04:19it does give you a bit more to go on.
04:21And if we can play some practice games, see them under pressure,
04:24we can make more informed decisions about the talent that we're looking at sort of moving forward.
04:29So it's certainly one area that I think they're putting a lot of time and effort into
04:34to make sure that we get the right talent moving forward.
04:38You know, they're very important decisions.
04:40There's so much talent in this country, you know, and picking the right ones.
04:43We're still going to make mistakes, no question, but if we can make more informed decisions,
04:47then I think that will help the franchise moving forward.
04:50Does that answer your question?
04:52Okay.
04:52Yeah, well, I mean, even in situations like this, as a coaching group,
05:09we're looking for ways that we can do things better as well.
05:12And it's a magnificent facility, that high-performance centre.
05:16I've only just seen it for the first couple of times.
05:19And, you know, it's a fantastic resource for us, so we should use it.
05:23And to be able to put players into situations in practice games that is closer to the match.
05:28I mean, we can bat in the nets, and that's fine.
05:30But to expose them in a match situation at practice is closer to what they're going to experience in a match.
05:36We can learn a lot more about players when they're really under pressure,
05:40what decisions they make, and things like that.
05:43So I think it helps the coaches, but it's also good practice and good training for the players as well.
05:48Coach, you spoke about the vast pool of talent in the country process.
05:54What do you make about Vaibal Suryanshi, who had an excellent knock in the previous game for RR?
06:01I mean, it was incredible, wasn't it?
06:04I mean, there's some of these players that come along,
06:07and when they're out there in the middle and they're batting, you don't want to miss a ball.
06:10I mean, we felt this in Australia when Adam Gilchrist walked out to bat.
06:13The whole team would come into the viewing area and sit there and want to watch the game,
06:16because they're just so exciting.
06:19I felt the same watching this young kid last night, him and Jaiswal batting together.
06:25It's just breathtaking batting.
06:27I mean, it's fearless, it's reckless at times, but it's so exciting to watch.
06:32So that's what I mean, some of the talent coming through at such a young age.
06:36Like, I mean, what age is he so young to be able to play like that against some of the best bowlers in the world?
06:41Like, I mean, Rashid Khan was playing in that match.
06:44It just blows your mind, you know.
06:46So it's exciting to watch.
06:48He's going to be on such a high now, I'm sure, for probably weeks and months.
06:54But then it comes with that, comes the expectation that he's going to do that every match.
06:58And look, we all know that it's not going to happen all the time.
07:00So he's going to need good people around him to help guide him in the right direction.
07:05And I think he's very lucky.
07:06He's got someone like Raul Dravid there, some good senior players as well,
07:09to help guide him through this period, because I'm sure his life and his world has changed forever now.
07:16You know, even just getting selected, his life would have changed a lot.
07:19But now to score 100 off, what was it, 30-odd balls, it was amazing to watch.
07:24Mike, though the result didn't come your way in the last match, we saw a very positive intent in batting.
07:34Yeah.
07:35Can we expect the same going forward as our teams have adopted this kind of cricket, fearless cricket?
07:44Yes.
07:45The way we batted in the last match, even though we didn't get a winning score,
07:49it looked more like the way we'd like to play.
07:53So, yeah, that more positive intent was there, looking to push the game forward,
07:58looking to take the game on a little bit more, but still do it in a smart way.
08:02You know, it definitely looked better, you know, than some of the previous games
08:06where we looked like we were playing with a little bit more fear,
08:08looking to not make a mistake, which is not the way we want to play.
08:11It's not going to be successful in this competition.
08:13So, yeah, it definitely looked better.
08:16I felt, you know, there was a couple of little things didn't quite go away.
08:19Like, I mean, Brevis was going very well.
08:21An amazing catch, you know, to dismiss him.
08:23That could have been the difference between another, who knows how many runs.
08:26So, you know, there were some little things that didn't quite go away,
08:29but you're right, it looked better, didn't it?
08:31The way we were trying to play, it was more attractive,
08:35and more the way we want to play, definitely.
08:38Mike, just talking about the young batting, young batsmen coming through,
08:42before Rutraj Gekwad came in as well, he spent a couple of seasons where he worked with you a lot.
08:49Who was that, sorry?
08:50Rutraj Gekwad, and even Jack Thiessen for that matter.
08:53Yeah.
08:53When you have guys like Ayush Matre and Sheikh Rashid,
08:58Flem spoke about, like, before throwing them in the middle,
09:00he would like to know whether they are temperamentally ready.
09:03And given these guys play predominantly domestic cricket,
09:06not international cricket, even same with Deval Braves as well.
09:09So, when do you feel like, okay, these guys are ready,
09:13okay, let's throw them in the middle and see.
09:14Obviously, this season, was it more of desperation that sort of gave him the chance,
09:19or ahead of next season when it's a team in transition?
09:23So, how do you see the coming months ahead for them?
09:26Yeah, again, that's one of the things we've identified that I think we need to do a bit better.
09:33I mean, Sheikh Rashid's a good example.
09:35We've had him with us now for, well, at least a couple of seasons.
09:39And he's a beautiful player.
09:40But you're right, we need to find out how he can go under pressure.
09:45And so, yes, he's got his opportunity now.
09:47And, you know, he's handling it well at the moment.
09:50Like, obviously, he'll want to get some more runs, you know,
09:52towards the back end of the season.
09:53But he's certainly got the skill and the talent to be able to do it.
09:57But maybe as a coaching group, maybe this is where we can look to improve by,
10:01in coming seasons, put these young guys in better training positions,
10:04where, like we spoke about earlier, about, you know, using the academy,
10:07playing more practice games, you know, seeing what they're like
10:11when they're really under pressure.
10:12If there's, sometimes in nets, there's not a consequence.
10:15You know, you can just play your shots, you get out, it doesn't matter,
10:17you move on to the next ball.
10:18But if you're in a match situation, there's a bit more consequence involved.
10:21So maybe that's something we'll look at more in the future.
10:25Well, we will definitely look at more in the future.
10:28And then, obviously, we'll keep a close eye on them
10:31when they're playing their domestic stuff as well
10:32and keep working with them.
10:35It's not just working with them for this two and a half months.
10:37It's still communicating and working with them
10:39throughout the rest of the year as well
10:40and seeing how they're going and seeing how they're going,
10:43particularly in those pressure situations,
10:45seeing what their mentality's like.
10:48Hi, Mike.
10:52Just wanted to ask, you know, given the season that you guys had
10:54and you also spoke about, you know, every other game
10:56you were looking to win the next game.
10:58Obviously, that's going to be your number one priority.
11:00As a coaching unit, what do you tell to the guys?
11:03You know, after obviously having a disappointing game,
11:04how do you keep the motivation running?
11:06How do you keep that intent going on for the next game,
11:08hoping that you win the next game
11:09and carry on for the rest of the season?
11:11So as a coaching unit, what's the conversations in the team
11:14to ensure a young group of players are also staying motivated?
11:17Well, funny enough, there's actually a lot of motivation in this team.
11:20You know, you talk about there's been opportunities
11:22for some younger guys to play.
11:25So you mentioned Matt Trey and Sheikh Rashid.
11:29I mean, motivation could not be higher for these guys.
11:31You know, they've got an opportunity to play in the IPL.
11:33They are jumping out of their skins to play.
11:36Sam Curran was out of the team after the first two matches.
11:39He's got an opportunity now batting higher in the order.
11:42He is highly motivated to do well, you know, to grab this opportunity.
11:46There's other guys down the list that have an opportunity.
11:48So from a coaching perspective,
11:51we want to turn up to training in the matches
11:54in such a positive and energetic frame of mind
11:56and hoping that that will also, you know, go on to the players as well.
12:02And then the conversations are always positive and confident
12:06and giving backing as much as we possibly can
12:09and that we want to win the matches, you know.
12:12We're not going out there just to, you know, just to play
12:14and finish the season, give a couple of guys an opportunity.
12:18No, we want to push hard to try and win.
12:19So that's where the motivation comes for players having opportunity,
12:23coaches turning up with a good attitude and a lot of positivity
12:27and giving messages of we want to win.
12:30We want to push hard.
12:31We want to move the game forward.
12:32We want to play an exciting brand of cricket
12:34for the fans that keep coming up and watching.
12:36That's pretty much it.