“We're excited, but there's a bit of nervousness as well” - CSK head coach Stephen Fleming ahead of IPL 2023 final

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that they are excited to play in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. At the same time, he conceded that there is a hint of nervousness as well in the camp.

CSK will play their 10th IPL final when they take on defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the summit clash of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 28.

CSK beat GT by 15 runs in Qualifier 1 to seal their berth, while Gujarat hammered Mumbai Indians (MI) by 62 runs in Qualifier 2 to reach their second final in their second season in the T20 league.

Speaking ahead of the much-hyped final, Fleming opened up on the emotions in the CSK camp. He said at a pre-match press conference:

"We're excited, but there's a bit of nervousness as well. It's a big stage, a big occasion, and there's a lot of work that goes into getting to this point. We're proud of what we've done, and we're looking forward to the opportunity."

Elaborating on the nervousness aspect despite being the second most successful team in the IPL in terms of title wins, the former Kiwi captain explained:

"It's a big occasion, the game doesn't change, but the outcome does; it's really hard not to look too far ahead. And the dream is of winning it again, right from the coach to a guy who hasn't played a game." Fleming added, "To be part of that [IPL final] is what we set out to do at the start, that's our purpose. Trying to contain that excitement and trying to stay in the present is one of the great challenges as we get towards the end of the tournament.

"We've got to stay very present against Gujarat, one of the most consistent sides in the tournament. They're an excellent side, and we can't afford to dream too much, but this is why we're here. The excitement levels and the nerves of the big stage slowly simmer away, but it's a good thing to have, it's just how you work with them in your system.

"We've worked very hard at that. We've got some good people around us. We look forward to this challenge, but you have to have a certain level of anxiety and nervousness to be at your best, I guess. It's about how you manage that and how quickly you can sync into the game. That's what we will be looking to do."

Chennai and Gujarat have met twice this season. GT beat CSK by five wickets in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad. As mentioned at the start, Chennai defeated Gujarat by 15 runs when the teams met in Qualifier 1.

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“Margins between success and failure have gotten closer and closer” - CSK coach on the challenge of winning IPL

Chennai may have won four IPL titles, the last of which was in 2021. However, Fleming believes that laying hands on the trophy is becoming tougher by the year because the margins between success and failure are getting closer.

He stated:

"It's a big process. What I will say is margins between success and failure have gotten closer and closer each year. We may have been ninth or seventh [in earlier seasons], and you look back, and there are a number of games that could've gone differently. Maybe, last-ball finishes or a great performance. So they're small defining moments that determine where you finish on the log.

"It's just getting closer and closer as teams get smarter about the players they pick or conditions they play in. This year's been no different, it's been the hardest. Each team you come up against it feels like an incredibly difficult challenge. The thing we're really proud of is that when we've had a bad season, we've been able to bounce back.”

Before 2021, CSK’s previous IPL wins were registered in 2010, 2011 and 2018.