Stephen Fleming appointed as coach of Texas Super Kings of Major League Cricket (MLC)

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed as the coach of Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Texas Super Kings, who have a partnership with IPL's Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Fleming is now the coach of all three Super Kings franchises.

The 49-year-old has been the long-standing coach of the Super Kings in the IPL, helping them to four titles. He also served in the same capacity for the Joburg Super Kings in the inaugural edition of SA20 in South Africa his year.

The Super Kings joined the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders to make it four out of six MLC teams to have owners connected with the IPL, with the tournament set to begin on March 13.

The six MLC teams are San Francisco Unicorns, Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington DC. Capitals, co-owned by GMR Group, are partnering with the Seattle Orcas.

The player draft took place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, selecting nine players each from more than 100 eligible to represent the 'US cricket community'. The rest of the player slots will be filled later.

Stephen Fleming to return for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023

MS Dhini and Dwyane Bravo. (Credits: Getty)

Fleming will return with the Yellow Army in IPL 2023 on March 31, with the four-time champions locking horns with the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. Keeper-batter MS Dhoni will return as the captain.

The Super Kings had a forgettable year in 2022 as they finished ninth in the points table, with four victories and ten losses. All eyes will be on all-rounder Ben Stokes, who fetched a jaw-dropping INR 16.25 crores in the auction held in Kochi in December.

MS Dhoni and Co. will also be returning to the Chidambaram Stadium or Chepauk for the first time since the 2019 edition.