Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that the title win this year is special because his side was written off after a disappointing season in 2020.
“It is very hard to rank them (the titles). I think, the win in 2018, coming back, was very emotional, but there is a lot of hard work in this one,” said Fleming.
“I don’t think a lot of people had any hopes for us to be able to maintain our competitiveness during this cycle. We were pretty much written off.
“So, there is a little bit of satisfaction around that and a lot of pride in what the players have been able to achieve and maintain the standards over a number of months and that was a challenge for an ageing side,” added the former New Zealand skipper.
Commenting on the team’s philosophy, Fleming pointed out the importance of experience, in a format that is widely believed is for youth, as the key behind the team’s consistency.
“We have things we believe in and we pick players who can fill roles. We have got some outstanding leaders and experienced players. People call them old, but I call them experienced and that helps create an environment that is very calm and understands what it is doing,” he said.
When asked if it feels like the end of an era with a new auction set to take place with two new teams joining next year, Fleming said, “We don’t know.”