Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have on-boarded a second fielding coach for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The 5-time champions have used the services of Rajiv Kumar since 2018, but have chosen to employ James Foster as the second fielding coach.
CSK’s new fielding coach
Foster, a former England wicketkeeper-batter, has worked in the IPL before. He worked as Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) fielding coach from 2020 to 2022 and as their assistant coach from 2022 to 2023. Apart from the IPL, Foster has had stints in the Pakistan Super League (Peshawar Zalmi), The Hundred (Sunrisers Leeds), and ILT20 (Desert Vipers). He has also worked with England as a consultant and wicketkeeper coach.
CSK were looking to hire a fielder coach and felt Foster was the right man for the job. “We have been looking for a fielding coach. I am hopeful he will join us (Foster),” said Kasi Viswanathan, CEO of CSK, told Cricbuzz.
CSK support staff for IPL 2026
| Role | Personnel |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Stephen Fleming |
| Batting Coach | Mike Hussey |
| Bowling Coach | Eric Simons |
| Assistant Bowling Coach | Sridharan Sriram |
| Fielding Coaches | Rajiv Kumar & James Foster |
| Team Manager | Russell Radhakrishnan |
| Physiotherapist | Tommy Simseck |
| Trainer | Gregory King |
| Team Doctor | Madhu Thottappillil |
| Mental Skills Coach | David Reid |
| Masseur | Khalil Khan |
| Logistics Manager | Sanjay Natarajan |
