A viral social media post claiming that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Sanju Samson called captain Ruturaj Gaikwad a “poor captain” is false. There is no credible evidence that Samson made such comments about Gaikwad’s leadership or said that he wanted to replace him as CSK captain.
Chennai Super Kings have endured a difficult run in recent IPL seasons, missing the playoffs in three consecutive editions of the tournament. The Chennai-based franchise also recently ended its 18-year association with head coach Stephen Fleming, who guided the team to five IPL titles.
Fact Check: Sanju Samson Did Not Call Ruturaj Gaikwad a Poor Captain
🚨 Sanju Samson: "I’m ready to take on any responsibility for CSK."🚨
— Mahi Patel (@Mahi_Patel_07) August 17, 2026
Interviewer: "Sanju, with Ruturaj failing, would you like to lead CSK?"
Sanju Samson: Definitely. I’m absolutely ready to take on any responsibility for CSK. I have captaincy experience, and I believe I can… pic.twitter.com/Z4KuFCQyQd
A fake post on X claimed that Sanju Samson called Ruturaj Gaikwad a “poor captain” and said he wanted to lead Chennai Super Kings. The post also claimed that Samson blamed Gaikwad for CSK’s lack of recent success. However, no credible interview or media report supports these remarks.
Samson joined CSK from Rajasthan Royals before the 2026 IPL season, but there is no evidence that he questioned Gaikwad’s captaincy. The viral claim appears to be fabricated, and Samson has not publicly expressed a desire to replace Gaikwad as CSK captain.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Yet to Lead CSK to IPL Playoffs
Ruturaj Gaikwad became CSK captain before the 2024 season after taking over from legendary skipper MS Dhoni. The team finished fifth that year and missed the playoffs. In 2025, Gaikwad played only five matches before an injury ruled him out, with Dhoni taking charge for the rest of the season.
Gaikwad returned as captain in 2026, but CSK finished eighth after winning six matches. He has led the franchise in 33 IPL games, winning 14 and losing 19, giving him a 42.42% win rate. He has also won two IPL titles as a player, in 2021 and 2023.
With the bat, Gaikwad has scored 1,042 runs in 33 innings as captain at an average of 35.16 and a strike rate of 138.40. He has recorded one century and eight fifties as captain, with his highest score of an unbeaten 108 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2024 season.
Sanju Samson Makes Strong Start at Chennai Super Kings
Sanju Samson joined CSK from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of IPL 2026 after spending eight seasons with the franchise. He started his Chennai career slowly, scoring single-digit runs in his first three matches, but responded strongly with an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC).
Samson finished his first season with CSK as one of their leading batters, scoring 477 runs in 14 matches at an average of 43.46 and a strike rate of 165.62, including two centuries. He adapted quickly after moving away from his long-standing role at Rajasthan.
Samson began his IPL career with Rajasthan Royals in 2013 before moving to Delhi Daredevils in 2016. He returned to Rajasthan in 2018 and later captained the franchise. The Jaipur-based franchise reached the IPL 2022 final but lost to Gujarat Titans (GT).
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