Chennai Super Kings have added former England wicket-keeper James Foster to their back-room team, naming him fielding coach for the 2026 Indian Premier League season. He links up with long-standing head coach Stephen Fleming and joins a support staff that already includes Michael Hussey (batting) and Eric Simons (bowling).
Foster, 45, played 23 times for England between 2001 and 2009, then moved into coaching after retiring in 2018. Since then he has become a familiar face on the franchise circuit. In January he guided Desert Vipers to the ILT20 title, and last month he accepted an assistant-coach role with Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred. Previous IPL experience came at Kolkata Knight Riders, where he handled the fielding portfolio before stepping up as assistant coach.
“James brings a wealth of franchise know-how and a calm voice in the dressing-room,” Fleming said in a short statement. The club added that Foster’s track record with wicket-keepers was “an obvious bonus”, given the presence of MS Dhoni and new signing Sanju Samson. Samson, fresh from being named Player of the Tournament at the recent T20 World Cup, is expected to share the gloves with Dhoni during a season that could see rotation behind the stumps.
CSK begin their campaign on 30 March against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, followed by matches against Punjab Kings (3 April, home), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (5 April, away) and Delhi Capitals (11 April, home). After finishing bottom in 2025 with four wins from 14, the five-time champions will be keen to show that last year was an outlier.
Foster himself kept the focus on basics. “Fielding wins the odd game on its own; more often it just keeps you in the contest. My job is to make sure we’re switched on every ball,” he said. The understated message fits a team intent on quiet progress rather than grand statements.
