Sanju Samson set to replace Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK captain? Franchise drops bombshell post

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson is likely to part ways with the Rajasthan Royals after CSK showed keenness to sign him; however, CSK has decided to stick to Ruturaj Gaikwad for the captaincy role in the upcoming edition.

Nearly ten months before the next IPL season, the franchises, especially the ones that had fallen behind in the last edition, look to revamp their squad. CSK, the franchise with the greatest legacy in the history of the IPL, finished last in the points table in 2025, and rumours have pointed towards their interest in signing RR keeper-batter Sanju Samson.

The Indian wicket-keeper batsman is a one-stop solution to many of the problems CSK faced in the previous season. He would also end their need for an experienced top-order batter and take keeping gloves from MS Dhoni.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Amid Sanju Samson trade talks, CSK confirms skipper for IPL 2026

Amid the talks of CSK's keenness towards gathering the services of Sanju Samson, and he too possibly looking forward to parting ways with RR, the Chennai Super Kings franchise has hinted that they are not making any change to captaincy for the upcoming season.

A viral post uploaded on the X handle of the Men in Yellow included a picture of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and included a powerful message in the caption: "With great power comes great responsibility," the caption read.

Swinging into a Brand New Day in Rutu Style! 💛🕸️#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/wq5XXW6xBe

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 9, 2025

Gaikwad joined CSK back in IPL 2019 and made his debut for the franchise in 2020, and since then has been irreplaceable in the squad. He replaced MS Dhoni as the CSK skipper in 2024 but could not make it to the playoffs of the season.

Ruturaj could play in only 5 games in 2025 as he was ruled out due to an elbow injury, assigning the captaincy role back to Dhoni in his absence. However, the post seems to indicate Gaikwad's retention as the CSK skipper.

Is Sanju Samson's exit from Rajasthan Royals confirmed?

According to recent reports from Cricbuzz as well as RevSportz, Sanju Samson, the RR skipper, is not happy with the Royals' management and has asked to be traded or to be released ahead of the mini-auction.

Several reports have claimed that the franchise is also not looking to convince the batter otherwise, as they are looking for options to replace Sanju as the skipper, since they already have Vaibhav Suryavanshi in an opening role and Dhruv Jurel with the gloves to replace him.

Sanju Samson will be leaving the franchise after a long stay of 8 seasons, since he was re-signed by the Royals in the IPL 2018 mega-auction. He was also retained before 2022, after which he led the Royals to their first final since 2008 and was hence retained in the 2025 mega-auction as well.

Will Sanju Samson's entry mark an end to MS Dhoni's career in the IPL?

Since Sanju has decided to move from the Rajasthan Royals and it is a fact that he would earn a huge amount of money if he goes to the auction.

However, the question arises: if Sanju Samson moves to CSK, then what would be the need for MS Dhoni on the Men in Yellow? Dhoni, aged 44 years, is no more a finisher like he was back during his days and usually comes in to bat too late in the batting order.

He is mostly seen on the field behind the wickets, but if Samson joins them as their gloveman, then MS Dhoni can rest. Moreover, if Gaikwad resumes captaincy, the need for Dhoni lessens further.

ALSO READ: Sanju Samson finally reacts to RR-to-CSK move reports after Ravichandran Ashwin’s provocation