IPL 2026: Are CSK making mistake by not giving captaincy to Sanju Samson instead of Ruturaj Gaikwad?

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson are CSK’s openers in IPL 2026.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) acquired Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) through a trade deal. He was picked as the new opener for the side in IPL 2026 alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Samson was the captain of RR in the previous season. However, CSK overlooked him for captaincy and retained Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain for IPL 2026 despite their poor show in the last two seasons.

CSK did not manage to make it to the playoffs in the last two seasons. Moreover, they were the worst performers in the previous edition and finished in the last spot in the points table.

In IPL 2026, Gaikwad’s captaincy has become a topic of discussion due to CSK’s poor performance in the initial matches. In their first match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), they suffered a humiliating batting collapse. They were all out for just 127 runs, eventually losing by eight wickets.

Against the Punjab Kings, they posted a decent total of 209/5 in the first innings. However, they failed to defend the target as PBKS batters completely dominated them and won by five wickets. In their third game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, CSK conceded 250 runs in the first innings.

Notably, Dhoni was the CSK captain in IPL 2023, where they also won the title. He stepped down as the skipper ahead of the 2024 edition, handing over the leadership to Gaikwad.

Dhoni used to guide Gaikwad in the previous seasons. In his absence at the start of IPL 2026, Gaikwad’s ineffective leadership has come to the limelight.

Is Sanju Samson a better option for CSK captaincy than Ruturaj Gaikwad?

Although Gaikwad has been an outstanding batter in the IPL over the years, he has struggled with his leadership. On the other hand, Samson has a good experience as a captain in IPL.

Samson was appointed as RR captain for the first time in IPL 2021 and held the post till the 2025 edition. He led the team in 67 games, out of which RR won 33 matches and lost 32. He had a win percentage of 49.25.

In the 2022 edition, Samson led Rajasthan Royals to the final, where they ended as runners-up after losing to Gujarat Titans.

On the other hand, Gaikwad has so far captained CSK in 21 matches, winning 8 and losing 13. Last year, he could only lead the side in five games before getting ruled out due to an elbow injury. Dhoni led the team in the remainder of the tournament.

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