R Ashwin says CSK had Ashish Nehra on shortlist before appointing Zaheer Khan
On 2026-09-23 Ravichandran Ashwin revealed on his YouTube channel that Chennai Super Kings had considered Ashish Nehra among candidates while searching for a replacement for Stephen Fleming, and that the franchise ultimately appointed Zaheer Khan to the role.
Fleming left his long-standing role at Chennai Super Kings before taking charge of England's red-ball team, creating the vacancy the franchise sought to fill. CSK are five-time Indian Premier League champions, and the coaching change followed Fleming’s departure.
Ashwin said Ashish Nehra was among those discussed and noted Nehra’s ongoing commitments. "There have been conversations with several coaches. In fact, if I'm not wrong, I think Ashish Nehra was also at some stage in the frame," Ashwin said, and the article states Nehra remains the head coach of Gujarat Titans, who won the title in their debut season in 2022 and reached the final again in 2023 and 2026.
Ashwin said the search extended beyond Nehra and that other high-profile candidates were involved, but several potential deals fell through for various reasons. "I think there are two other Indian legends whose contracts also happened," Ashwin said. "There were a few foreigners whose contracts happened, but the deal couldn't happen for many reasons. The reasons were very different. In some cases, they were not ready to take a one-year contract. In fact, in one case I know well, the deal was almost done, but his thing was that he couldn't work in international tournaments other than CSK, because of which he could suffer financially," he added.
Despite the wider search, Ashwin expressed clear support for Zaheer Khan's appointment as head coach. "I think the choice of Zaheer Khan is fabulous. I do not doubt it. He ticks all the boxes. Smart man, knows cricket, knows bowling tactics well, and will blend in nicely," he said.
Ashwin also highlighted Zaheer’s relationship with MS Dhoni and described that rapport as important for the team environment. "His relationship with Dhoni is very good. Besides, he is an Indian legend who can work with the boys. This will be a new beginning for Zaheer Khan as head coach," Ashwin said. "But it will be very similar. Dhoni and Zaheer Khan's rapport is good. I think you can see the team going in one direction; there won't be a need to pull here and there," he added.
Zaheer's prior roles in the Indian Premier League include serving as Lucknow Super Giants' mentor from 2024 to 2025, and earlier as Mumbai Indians' Director of Cricket from 2018; he was promoted to Global Head of Cricket Development in 2022.
Zaheer's appointment marks a new phase for CSK after Fleming's departure, with the former India fast bowler now tasked with leading the five-time champions' coaching setup.