CSK head coach Stephen Fleming hints at roping in Tim Seifert for IPL 2021

Stephen Fleming, the head coach of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has hinted at signing New Zealand’s Tim Seifert in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2020, Seifert was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where he played under the tutelage of Brendon McCullum.

Prior to that, McCullum was also his head coach when he played for the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He didn’t have the best of campaigns in the CPL and he didn’t get to play for Kolkata as well after being roped in as a replacement of Ali Khan.

Tim Seifert showing his class against Pakistan

However, the 26-year-old recently played in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan where he became the leading run-scorer from either side. It was then that Fleming expressed his desire to sign Seifert for the Super Kings.

“There’s a team in yellow that might have a look at you (Seifert) as well. Not just Brendon McCullum’s team, there are other teams out there,” Fleming was quoted as saying during commentary.

In the T20I series, Seifert amassed 176 runs at an average and strike-rate of 88 and 139.68 respectively. His top score of an unbeaten 84 came at the Seddon Park in Hamilton where he helped the Black Caps chase down 164 with four balls to spare.

It was his unbeaten 129-run stand with Kane Williamson that guided the Kiwis over the finishing line. Even in the opening T20I at the Eden Park in Auckland, Seifert made 57 runs before Shaheen Shah Afridi got rid of him.

In the third game at the McLean Park in Napier, he made 35 runs. The hosts clinched the series 2-1 after taking an unassailable lead after the second T20I. It didn’t spring a surprise that he got the Player of the Series award for his efforts with the bat in hand.

As far as the Super Kings are concerned, the team, captained by MS Dhoni, couldn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the history of the tournament. Though they ended the event with a flurry of wins, they weren’t enough to take them to the next round.