Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming was effusive in his praise for two of the brightest stars on the night against Mumbai Indians, Anshul Kamboj and Kartik Sharma.
Fleming offered a detailed and thoughtful assessment of the two emerging talents highlighting both their technical growth and mental development within the Chennai Super Kings setup.
On Kamboj, Fleming made it clear that his rise has not come as a surprise internally. He pointed out that Kamboj had already shown strong promise the previous season and has since elevated his game through focused work, particularly in the demanding area of death bowling.
Fleming credited his collaboration with bowling coach Eric Simons, noting that Kamboj has worked extensively on understanding the nuances of bowling in high-pressure situations.
“He's worked hard with Eric Simons around the concept of death bowling. And he has worked during the year to master that. And I think you've seen some fine performances, both in the reason why and what he's doing and in the ability to execute under pressure.
And they're two really key components at the death. And all we really needed was evidence. And again, a lot of the work we've done pre-season and out has been with open wickets and understanding angles and what he can and can't do from certain sides of the wicket,” he added.
Death bowling, Fleming noted, requires two critical components: a clear plan and the ability to deliver under pressure. Kamboj, in his view, has shown both.
Much of this progress has come from deliberate pre-season preparation, including training on open wickets to better understand angles, variations, and limitations from different parts of the crease. Fleming described these improvements as “very impressive,” underlining that Kamboj’s performances are backed by both preparation and composure.
On Kartik, Fleming framed his performance as a breakthrough moment shaped by patience and perseverance.
He explained that integrating young players into a high-pressure league like the IPL requires careful handling, particularly in understanding their mentality. While Sharma has always had evident talent, Fleming stressed that temperament is the defining factor at this level.
“It comes back to that temperament. Being able to do it on this stage is very unique. And when we watched him in the last trials and then his recent form leading into the auction, we felt that he was pretty close or ready to have a chance.
He's worked very hard. There are some things he had to work on and still needs to work on as he goes forward. But again, he was impressive today,” the coach added.
Fleming acknowledged that Sharma’s initial introduction to top-level cricket was challenging, but the youngster used that phase constructively.
After spending time refining his game and building confidence, Sharma seized his opportunity with a composed and impactful innings. His unbeaten fifty, according to Fleming, was not just about runs but about demonstrating maturity under pressure.
