After yet another disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could see a change in the team’s leadership structure. The 2026 campaign is expected to end with the franchise failing to make it to the top four. While there are several areas where the Super Kings need to improve, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s performances with the bat and as a captain have come under the spotlight. Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manoj Tiwary feels Sanju Samson should be given the opportunity to lead the franchise next year.
Tiwary, during a discussion on Cricbuzz after CSK’s match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, said that Ruturaj’s lack of runs has affected his captaincy. Though he was expected to step into MS Dhoni‘s shoes, he hasn’t done justice to the opportunities given so far.
“You said Ruturaj needs to fill his (Dhoni’s) shoes. I feel there isn’t any shoe of that size yet. He should focus on building his own legacy, and for that, he has to do extensive research on his past matches and identify where he needs to improve, and only after that can he prepare to be a captain next season. A captain can only be positive when he himself is scoring runs. But he isn’t scoring runs. He is lacking that fluency,” he said during the discussion.
Ruturaj had a challenging campaign this year, which saw him score 321 runs in 13 matches at an average of 29.18 and an unimpressive strike rate of 120.68. His performance included two half-centuries.
“As of now, we know CSK can win matches without Dhoni, but if they change the captain, the wicketkeeper, nothing can replace his absence on the field. But rest assured, it has been confirmed that they can win matches without him. They now need to consider how to build the team,” he added.
Tiwary is of the opinion that Samson could be the face to lead CSK into the IPL 2027 season, having proven his captaincy credentials while leading the Rajasthan Royals in the past.
“Let’s see if he remains the captain next season, because I feel that Samson is in the fray. And it will be a good decision as well. If Chennai brought him for a specific reason, they might see him as a leader. Gaikwad has been the captain for two seasons, and that’s why they extended that period this season. But Samson could be the skipper next year. Irrespective of where they finish, they have to decide, and Samson is the best person because he led RR as well and is a good batsman as well,” he said.
Featured Video Of The Day
Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
Topics mentioned in this article