CSK New Coaching Staff 2027: Morkel and Mohit Join Zaheer Khan’s Team
Chennai Super Kings have completed their coaching rebuild. The CSK new coaching staff for IPL 2027 is now in place after the franchise announced on 27 October 2026 that former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel has joined as assistant coach and former India pacer Mohit Sharma has joined as bowling coach. The two appointments, made under new head coach Zaheer Khan, fill the last major gaps in a backroom team that was overhauled from top to bottom this month.
The announcement completes a remarkable week of change at the five-time champions. On 26 October, the franchise parted ways with five coaching and support staff members, including batting coach Michael Hussey and bowling coach Eric Simons. A day later, the replacements were confirmed, and the franchise declared its coaching overhaul complete. For the full story of the departures, read our earlier report on the CSK coaching staff overhaul.
The Two Homecomings: Morkel and Mohit Return
Both appointments are homecomings, and that is no accident. Chennai have turned to two men who know the franchise from the inside, rather than importing strangers to lead a rebuild.
Albie Morkel: Assistant Coach
Albie Morkel’s association with Chennai Super Kings began in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 and ran until 2013. The South African all-rounder played 78 matches for the franchise, scoring 827 runs at a strike rate of 144.83 and taking 76 wickets. He was a key member of the teams that won back-to-back IPL titles in 2010 and 2011, and his big hitting and handy medium pace made him one of the most popular overseas players at Chepauk.
After his playing career, Morkel stayed connected to the wider Super Kings network and recently took over as head coach of Joburg Super Kings for the fifth season of South Africa’s SA20, succeeding Stephen Fleming in that role. His coaching career also includes work with South Africa’s domestic Titans side, a specialist coaching role with the South African national team, and a stint as assistant coach of Namibia, whom he helped guide to the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup. He now returns to Chennai as an assistant coach, working alongside Gareth Batty in the same role.
Mohit Sharma: Bowling Coach
Mohit Sharma’s return is equally steeped in Chennai history. The fast bowler made his IPL debut for the franchise in 2013 and went on to win the Purple Cap in 2014, the season he announced himself as one of the league’s smartest death bowlers. Across his Chennai stints between 2013 and 2019, he took 58 wickets in 48 matches, built on masterful slower deliveries and variations that made him almost unhittable at the death on slow pitches.
Mohit later played a key role in Gujarat Titans’ run to the 2023 final and finished his playing career with Delhi Capitals, before retiring from all forms of cricket in December 2025. The franchise welcomed him back with a message recalling his debut in yellow and his Purple Cap season, and expressing excitement about having him shape the next generation of bowlers. As bowling coach, he takes over the department vacated by Eric Simons, who served in the role from 2018 to 2026.
CSK New Coaching Staff 2027: The Complete Setup
With the two appointments confirmed, the CSK new coaching staff for IPL 2027 looks like this. Zaheer Khan is the head coach, appointed in September 2026 after Stephen Fleming departed to join the England Test team’s coaching staff. Gareth Batty and Albie Morkel are the assistant coaches. Batty, the former England spinner who led Surrey to three consecutive County Championship titles between 2022 and 2024, was announced on 26 October 2026. Mohit Sharma is the bowling coach.
Not everyone is new. Assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram and fielding coach James Foster have been retained from last season, providing continuity in two specialist areas. Senior official AR Srikanth also continues with the franchise. The blend is deliberate: a new head coach and two returning favourites at the top, experienced specialists retained underneath, and a clear break from the Fleming-era leadership group that delivered five titles but could not stop the slide of the last three seasons.
For the story of Batty’s appointment, read our report on Gareth Batty joining CSK as assistant coach. For the complete history of the franchise, see our Chennai Super Kings team guide.
From Overhaul to Rebuild: What Happens Next
The speed of the overhaul tells its own story. Chennai finished fifth in 2024, tenth in 2025 and eighth in 2026, missing the playoffs three seasons in a row. The franchise responded by changing the head coach, releasing five staff members and appointing three new coaches within the space of a few weeks. Acting early gives Zaheer Khan and his team time to study the squad before the retention deadline, rather than inheriting decisions made by their predecessors.
The next dates are now the ones that matter. Franchises must submit their retention lists by 15 November 2026, and the mini-auction will be held on 16 December 2026 in Goa. The retention list will be the first real evidence of how the new coaching group sees the squad, and the auction will complete the team that plays the 2027 season. For the key dates and the full auction picture, see our IPL 2027 auction guide.
What the new coaches bring is also clear. Morkel offers all-round experience, franchise knowledge and recent head-coach experience in the SA20. Mohit offers death-bowling expertise, Chepauk knowledge and a track record of succeeding with slower balls on turning pitches. Batty offers county-championship winning pedigree and spin-bowling insight. Zaheer offers fast-bowling authority and a fresh voice. Together, they cover every department of the game, and none of them carries the baggage of the last three seasons.
From Fleming to Zaheer: The End of an Era
The new appointments close the book on the most successful coaching era in IPL history. Stephen Fleming led Chennai Super Kings to five titles, in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023, and his calm methods and partnership with MS Dhoni became the defining identity of the franchise. His departure to the England Test team’s coaching staff in September 2026 ended the longest association between a head coach and a franchise in the league.
Zaheer Khan inherits a team with a proud history but a difficult recent record. The new head coach’s first challenge is not tactical but cultural: restoring the belief that took Chennai to five titles while accepting that the methods of the past three seasons stopped working. The appointments of Morkel and Mohit, both former players with deep ties to the franchise, suggest Zaheer wants to rebuild that belief from inside rather than importing an entirely new philosophy.
The contrast with the old setup is striking. Where Fleming’s team was built on stability and loyalty over many seasons, the new setup has been assembled in weeks. Whether speed brings success will be judged by results, starting with the retention list and the December auction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the CSK assistant coach for IPL 2027?
Chennai Super Kings have two assistant coaches for IPL 2027: Albie Morkel and Gareth Batty. Morkel, the former South Africa all-rounder who played for CSK from 2008 to 2013, was announced on 27 October 2026. Batty, the former England spinner, was announced on 26 October 2026.
Who is the CSK bowling coach for IPL 2027?
Mohit Sharma is the bowling coach of Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2027. The former India pacer, who won the Purple Cap with CSK in 2014, was announced on 27 October 2026, replacing Eric Simons.
Who is the CSK head coach for IPL 2027?
Zaheer Khan is the head coach of Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2027. The former India fast bowler was appointed in September 2026, replacing Stephen Fleming, who left to join the England Test team’s coaching staff.
Which CSK coaches were retained for IPL 2027?
Assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram and fielding coach James Foster were retained from last season. Senior official AR Srikanth also continues with the franchise.
Who left the CSK coaching staff before IPL 2027?
Five members departed on 26 October 2026: batting coach Michael Hussey, bowling coach Eric Simons, assistant coach Rajiv Kumar, physiotherapist Tommy Simsek and trainer Greg King. Their departures were followed a day later by the appointments of Morkel and Mohit Sharma.
Conclusion
The CSK new coaching staff for IPL 2027 is complete, and it is built on a simple idea: new leadership, familiar faces. Zaheer Khan leads the rebuild as head coach, Gareth Batty and Albie Morkel serve as assistant coaches, and Mohit Sharma takes charge of the bowling department. Sridharan Sriram and James Foster provide continuity, and the five departures of 26 October are now fully replaced.
Chennai’s fans have waited three seasons for a return to the playoffs. The franchise has now changed its head coach, its batting coach, its bowling coach, its assistant coaches and much of its support staff in a single month. The retention list on 15 November 2026 and the mini-auction on 16 December 2026 in Goa will show what the new coaches think of the squad. The season itself begins on 10 March 2027. The rebuild is done on paper. Now it has to work on the field.
