MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan [Source: X]Chennai Super Kings have made a major coaching announcement ahead of IPL 2027, with the five-time champions revealing their new head coach on Monday, September 21. The franchise shared the update through its official social media account at 6:11 PM IST, using a short message. While the appointment marks a new chapter for the franchise after a long association with Stephen Fleming, the reaction online has been far from unanimous over the appointmentZaheer Khan takes over as new CSK head coach after Stephen FlemingZaheer Khan has officially taken over as the new head coach of Chennai Super Kings, bringing an end to Stephen Fleming's remarkable 18-year association with the franchise.The former India pacer now inherits a team carrying the weight of five IPL titles but also one of the poorest recent runs in its history. CSK finished 10th in IPL 2025 before ending IPL 2026 in eighth place, making a change in direction almost inevitable.Zaheer's biggest challenge will be finding a way to rebuild the side without losing the identity that made CSK one of the IPL's most successful franchises. His appointment is also notable because CSK had previously been linked with overseas options for the position. Names such as Eoin Morgan, Brendon McCullum and Albie Morkel had emerged in reports, while Mike Hussey was also discussed at different stages. Zaheer, therefore, comes as something of a surprise.MS Dhoni could also have played an influential role in the decision. Reports had indicated that the former CSK captain was expected to have a major say in the franchise's player recruitment, auction strategy and coaching structure ahead of what could potentially be his final IPL season.Also Read- Adam Voges Breaks Silence On Joining CSK As Their Head CoachInternet trolls Zaheer Khan's appointmentZaheer's arrival has not received a universally positive response from the CSK fanbase. Soon after the franchise announced the appointment, social media was filled with reactions questioning the decision. Several fans expressed disappointment, while others used memes and trolling to make their feelings about the new coaching appointment clear.The online response reflects the enormous expectations surrounding any coach who takes over a five-time IPL champion.Let’s take a look at how the internet reacted to CSK’s new head coach:Surya @Suryakillerr @ChennaiIPL What!!! Sep 21, 2026, 6:14 PM Rahul Boity @boity_rahul @ChennaiIPL Peak HC Scouting by THA7A 💛🥳 𝔸🅖︎𝕄 @AGM9089 CSK fans watching Zaheer Khan as their Head Coach From Eoin Morgan to Zaheer Khan This is peak 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Sep 21, 2026, 6:39 PM "What is this random announcement? And I don't know how to react like I am happy that no badani and even astonished like why Zaheer Khan?" - @SmrutisikhaRSURAJ 🇮🇳 @SURAJY2325 @ChennaiIPL Wow. This was our of syllabus. Congratulations 🎉 @ImZaheer 💛 JK 👊 @JK_x_AK @ChennaiIPL @abhi_backup07 Out of the BOX Sep 21, 2026, 6:23 PM “Zaheer Khan has been appointed the head coach of CSK for IPL 2027. Badani, McCullum, Morgan, but superfans have the utmost surprise. LOOKS LIKE A TYPICAL MS DHONI MOVE” - @Clean_Bowled_Klaus @loyal_cskian @ChennaiIPL Wtffffffffff. Zaheer Khan ?????? Sep 21, 2026, 6:13 PM PureOffSide @GurunadhUp94466 @ChennaiIPL Expected flintoff 😕 Fine 🤙 Sep 21, 2026, 6:16 PM “Would’ve been a perfect choice for a bowling coach. Nonetheless, disappointment from this franchise these days comes as no surprise. Anyhow Welcome Zaks to csk family” - @mrdsureshSK @thalasudha @ChennaiIPL What !! Head coach or bowling Coach.. ?? CSK should have given the responsibility to Ashwin instead.. You never understand the local emotions. Pathetic Is Zaheer Khan a good coach?Zaheer may be a surprise name for the CSK job, but his coaching and cricket administration portfolio is considerably broader than his latest head-coaching appointment suggests.He first entered the Indian national setup as a bowling consultant in 2017, working alongside head coach Ravi Shastri during specific overseas assignments.Zaheer then spent four years with Mumbai Indians as Director of Cricket from 2018 to 2022. He was involved in team strategy, player operations and talent development, with his work around India's emerging fast-bowling talent forming an important part of his portfolio.From 2022 to 2024, he served as MI's Global Head of Cricket Development, overseeing the wider franchise ecosystem across leagues including ILT20 and SA20.He later joined Lucknow Super Giants as Team Mentor in August 2024. After Morne Morkel's move to the Indian team, Zaheer also took on primary bowling-coach responsibilities and remained involved in player development and scouting before leaving the franchise in September 2025.In March 2026, Zaheer Khan returned to a specialised coaching role with the BCCI Centre of Excellence, conducting fast-bowling camps for high-performance groups, including India A and Under-19 prospects.Also Read- Adil Rashid Ruled Out Of England vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI
.jpg?type=mq "Zaheer Khan Announced CSK Head Coach Before IPL 2027")
