Former England wicketkeeper James Foster, who played for India between 2001 and 2009, has been appointed the fielding coach for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He will be seen coaching under former CSK head coach Stephen Fleming.
Five-time IPL champion Chennai Super Kings always likes to stick to its old habits, be it players or coaches. They have had players like Stephen Fleming and Michael Hussey as coaches in the IPL, who have been associated with the franchise over the years.
CSK team will start its campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati. They continue their campaign against Punjab Kings on April 3, with their next few matches coming against RCB and Delhi Capitals. That’s four games for them on the season schedule announced so far.
James Foster appointed CSK fielding coach for IPL 2026
Former England wicketkeeper Foster played 23 matches for England across all formats between 2001 and 2009, but despite a short career as a player, his contribution to the game as a coach has been extensive.
James Foster, who won 23 caps across all formats as England wicketkeeper between 2001 and 2009, has coached extensively in franchise cricket since retiring from his playing career in 2018.
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He retired from his playing career some time ago, but since doing so in 2018, he has become a well-known name in franchise leagues around the world. He won the ILT20 as head coach of the Desert Vipers in January 2026 and was named assistant coach of Birmingham Phoenix in the Men’s Hundred.
Foster will work under Stephen Fleming at CSK
The CSK coaching team is led by head coach Stephen Fleming, who has been a part of the setup since the second season of the IPL in 2009. James Foster will have to work under the former Kiwi cricketer as the fielding coach.
Former CSK and MI batsman Michael Hussey is the batting coach in the CSK unit, and Eric Simmons has taken over as the bowling coach. Foster will also get a chance to work closely with one of the world’s greatest wicketkeepers, MS Dhoni, who is of the same age as the new coach.
Hopefully, both Dhoni and Foster together can give more tips to Sanju Samson, which will help him emerge as a better batsman as well as a better wicketkeeper. CSK finished last in the last edition of IPL.
Has James Foster coached in IPL before?
Talking about the highly successful English coach who has been associated with coaching teams around the world, it is worth mentioning that he has also previously worked as an international coach. According to ESPN Cricinfo, he has held positions in the coaching unit of international teams such as England and New Zealand.
After announcing his retirement in 2018, he was first appointed as a batting consultant for English county team Glamorgan in the 2019 T20 Blast. His major international projects came with Khulna Tigers in the BPL and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
In PSL 2022, he replaced West Indies legend Darren Sammy as the head coach of Peshawar Zalmi. In the same year, he also worked as the assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. This was his final stint as a coach in the IPL before making a comeback to the prestigious tournament in 2026.
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