Chennai Super Kings have built their reputation on stability, but the franchise could be forced to make some major calls ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season.The five-time champions have endured a difficult phase, missing out on the playoffs for three successive seasons. Their 2026 campaign was further complicated by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s struggles with the bat, while the arrival of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals sparked debate over whether CSK could consider a leadership change.Although CSK have traditionally avoided knee-jerk decisions, former India batter Sadagoppan Ramesh has now backed Samson to take over the captaincy if the franchise decides to move on from Gaikwad.Samson brings considerable leadership experience from his time at Rajasthan Royals. The wicketkeeper-batter, who was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup, moved to CSK ahead of the 2026 IPL and finished the season as the franchise’s highest run-scorer.Ramesh believes those credentials make Samson a serious option for CSK.“CSK are seemingly considering many options for the captaincy and even wondering whether a change is needed. Sanju Samson should be considered as captain because he’s such a fantastic team player. The CSK captaincy must be changed, and if it is, CSK must seriously consider Sanju Samson,” said Ramesh on his Instagram handle.He also pointed to Samson’s IPL captaincy record, while stressing that changing the skipper alone would not solve all of CSK’s problems.“Samson has also captained 66 matches in the IPL and won 33. So he has a 50% success rate. Under him, RR performed well, reaching the final and making another playoff appearance. Of course, CSK need several other things to change, and just making Sanju the captain won’t win them the trophy. But if at all they change captains, Sanju must be strongly considered,” he added.
Gaikwad’s difficult 2026 season
Gaikwad’s position has come under scrutiny following a disappointing campaign in 2026.The right-hander scored 337 runs at an average of 28.08 and also recorded the lowest strike rate among all batters during the powerplay. His struggles added to the questions surrounding CSK’s leadership ahead of the next season.Ramesh is not the first former CSK player to suggest that Gaikwad could benefit from stepping away from the captaincy.Former CSK and India batter Subramaniam Badrinath had previously argued that Gaikwad should be relieved of leadership duties and allowed to concentrate entirely on his batting.“So once you remove him from captaincy, he’ll perform well as a batter. It won’t be a harsh decision if he is stripped of captaincy. It’s more beneficial for the player and the franchise. It’ll only do Gaikwad a world of good. This is not new to him alone. Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar have been affected by captaincy. If you are someone who is intense and thinks too much, it’s hard to detach from captaincy even while batting,” he had said on his YouTube channel.CSK themselves have several decisions to make before the 2027 season. The franchise are currently looking for a new head coach after Stephen Fleming stepped down earlier this year.There is also uncertainty surrounding MS Dhoni’s future, with it still unclear whether the former India captain will continue playing for CSK in the 2027 IPL.
