"I don’t think": CSK unlikely to hand captaincy to Sanju Samson replacing Ruturaj Gaikwad
Published - 18 Mar 2026, 04:41 PM | Updated - 18 Mar 2026, 04:47 PM
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There are debates over the leadership role of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Sanju Samson's arrival in the team initiated the debate. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the CSK management may not go on to assign Sanju Samson as their captain too soon.
For the IPL 2026 season, Chennai Super Kings will continue with their skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. The management assigned Gaikwad as the successor of the former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni, who is nearing the final chapter of his career as a cricketer.
Why Chennai Super Kings should not make Sanju Samson captain in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad?
Kaif explained that Sanju Samson just joined the team, and he is a keeper-batter. So, the team will not put extra pressure on the cricketer right now.
"But I don’t think CSK will make the mistake of giving Sanju Samson the captaincy right now, because he has just joined. You can’t expect him to do everything at once, bat and win matches, keep wickets, and also captain the side. You don’t want to put that entire burden on him. The plan is to slowly let him grow into the role and eventually step into Dhoni’s shoes. That’s the long-term vision," Mohammad Kaif said in his YouTube video.
The CSK management will keep trusting Ruturaj Gaikwad: Kaif
The former cricketer predicted that the management may not change too many things in this season, and will continue to support their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"So there won’t be too many changes there. If responsibility has been given to Gaikwad, they won’t rush things. They will back him, and I feel that giving the captaincy to Sanju right now would be the wrong decision. I’ll explain the reason. The reason is that Sanju still doesn’t fully understand Chennai’s culture. He doesn’t yet know the expectations of Chennai’s fans or the dynamics of the players," he further explained.
Mohammad Kaif explained why Ruturaj Gaikwad is the perfect man to guide CSK in the IPL 2026 season
Kaif also points out why Gaikwad should continue as the CSK captain as he knows the players very well. And, he knows about the nature of the pitch in Chennai as well.
"Gaikwad has been leading for three to four years. He knows Nathan, like where to use him, when Noor should bowl, when to give him overs, what the batting order should be, and what to do on Chennai pitches after winning the toss. All these finer aspects of the game are things Sanju will learn after spending a year or two here. After that, if you want to hand over the command to him, you can," Mohammad Kaif further explained in his video.
CSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign on March 30 at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. For their opening match of the tournament, they will have to face Rajasthan Royals, the former team of Sanju Samson.
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