CSK's Struggles Prompt Calls for Leadership Change

The Chennai Super Kings had a lackluster IPL 2026 season, finishing seventh in the points table. Following their exit, former player Subramaniam Badrinath suggested that Ruturaj Gaikwad should step down as captain, advocating for Sanju Samson to take the helm. Badrinath believes that Gaikwad's batting performance would improve without the pressures of captaincy. This season marks the third consecutive year that CSK has failed to qualify for the playoffs, raising questions about their leadership and future direction.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 23, 2026, 18:36 IST

Chennai Super Kings' Disappointing IPL 2026 Campaign

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, faced a disappointing season in IPL 2026, finishing the league stage with only six victories out of 14 matches. This performance placed them seventh in the points table, with the risk of dropping to eighth if the Delhi Capitals secure a win in their upcoming match.

In light of CSK's underwhelming exit from the tournament, former player Subramaniam Badrinath suggested that the franchise should consider replacing Ruturaj as captain. He proposed that Sanju Samson would be a more suitable leader for the team. Badrinath expressed, "Ruturaj Gaikwad should not lead CSK. It should be Sanju Samson who should lead them. Ruturaj the batter is too important for CSK. His batting is more important than his captaincy because, anyway, Sanju Samson is a better captain than him. Ruturaj Gaikwad is a phenomenal T20 batter and has done extraordinary things for CSK."

He further elaborated, "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 only to him. 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."

Ruturaj took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni prior to IPL 2024. Unfortunately, the five-time champions were unable to progress to the playoffs after losing their final league match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In 2025, Ruturaj was sidelined due to an elbow injury after just five matches, during which CSK managed only one win. The 2026 season marked the second consecutive year that CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs, making it three seasons in a row without a playoff appearance.

Sanju Samson's Leadership Credentials

Sanju Samson has captaincy experience

Sanju Samson has previously captained the Rajasthan Royals (RR) from IPL 2021 to 2025, leading them to the finals in 2022. After starting his IPL journey with RR in 2013, he made a surprising transition to CSK ahead of IPL 2026. If the team management sees fit, he could potentially join CSK's leadership group for IPL 2027.