Chennai Super Kings could be heading toward a captaincy rethink after three straight seasons without a playoff appearance. Ruturaj Gaikwad has also faced criticism for his struggles in the 2026 IPL, prompting former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh to suggest that CSK should look beyond him if the franchise decides to make a leadership change. With Sanju Samson joining the squad, the wicketkeeper-batter has emerged as a potential option to take over the captaincy.
Ramesh believes Samson’s leadership experience with Rajasthan Royals makes him a strong candidate for the role. Given his experience as a captain and his performances with the bat, Ramesh feels Samson could be the right choice if CSK opts for a change at the top.
CSK Captaincy Change Urged as Ruturaj Gaikwad Comes Under Scrutiny
With Sanju Samson now part of the CSK setup, questions have emerged over whether the franchise could consider a change in leadership. CSK are traditionally known for stability and rarely make major decisions based on short-term setbacks. However, former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh believes the franchise should seriously consider Samson if it decides to move on from Gaikwad as captain. Samson brings previous IPL leadership experience with Rajasthan Royals and also enjoyed a strong 2026 season, finishing as CSK’s leading run-scorer after joining the franchise from RR.
“CSK are seemingly considering many options for the captaincy and even wondering whether a change is needed. Sanju Samson should be considered as captain because he’s such a fantastic team player. The CSK captaincy must be changed, and if it is, CSK must seriously consider Sanju Samson,” said Ramesh on his Instagram handle.
Ramesh also pointed to Samson’s captaincy record in the IPL as a reason for CSK to consider the wicketkeeper-batter. “Samson has also captained 66 matches in the IPL and won 33. So he has a 50% success rate. Under him, RR performed well, reaching the final and making another playoff appearance. Of course, CSK need several other things to change, and just making Sanju the captain won’t win them the trophy. But if at all they change captains, Sanju must be strongly considered,” he added.
Gaikwad’s numbers have strengthened the argument for a leadership rethink. The right-hander managed 337 runs at an average of 28.08 in IPL 2026 and had the lowest powerplay strike rate among the batters in the competition. Former CSK and India batter Subramaniam Badrinath had also backed the idea of removing Gaikwad from the captaincy, arguing that the move could allow him to concentrate solely on his batting.
“So once you remove him from captaincy, he’ll perform well as a batter. It won’t be a harsh decision if he is stripped of captaincy. It’s more beneficial for the player and the franchise. It’ll only do Gaikwad a world of good. This is not new to him alone. Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar have been affected by captaincy. If you are someone who is intense and thinks too much, it’s hard to detach from captaincy even while batting,” he had said on his YouTube channel.
CSK Faces Major Changes Ahead of IPL 2027
The captaincy debate comes at a time when CSK are facing other major questions ahead of the 2027 season. The franchise is searching for a new head coach after Stephen Fleming stepped down, while MS Dhoni’s playing future for the next IPL season also remains uncertain. With several changes potentially on the horizon, CSK’s decision on Gaikwad and Samson could become one of the key calls of their next campaign.
