CSK announce captain after trading in Sanju Samson from RR; Ruturaj Gaikwad holds on to leadership role

Sanju Samson performed as RR skipper since 2021, and his arrival saw many tip him as a captaincy option for CSK.

Amid rumours of Sanju Samson as a possible captaincy option, Chennai Super Kings have cleared the air with a huge statement, which confirms that Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue as skipper. On Saturday, CSK confirmed trading Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for Rajasthan Royals star Sanju Samson.

CSK gave an update on their captain for the 2026 season after trading in Sanju Samson.

Samson performed as RR skipper since 2021, and his arrival saw many tip him as a captaincy option. India legend Anil Kumble also told Star Sports that Samson could be a good captaincy option after the retirement of MS Dhoni.

Gaikwad is the current CSK skipper. He took over the role from Dhoni ahead of IPL 2024. Last year, Dhoni resumed captaincy duties, but it was after Gaikwad got injured.

Taking to X, CSK posted a photo of Gaikwad and captioned it as, “LEAD THE WAY, CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD!”

Gaikwad was purchased by CSK at the IPL 2019 Player Auction for ₹20 lakhs. Ahead of the 2022 season, CSK retained him for ₹6 crores. In 71 matches for CSK, he has smacked 2502 runs at a strike rate of 137.47, packed with two tons and 20 fifties.

Gaikwad got his first IPL ton in IPL 2021, with 101* against RR. That same season, CSK also won the IPL title, beating KKR in the final. Gaikwad won the Orange Cap and was also named as the Emerging Player of the Year. Last season, he had a strong start, but later got hit on his elbow vs RR, which led to further X-ray and MRI scans, revealing that it was a fracture to the radial neck of his elbow, and it ruled him out of the season.

Meanwhile, Samson played for RR in 149 matches, amassing 4027 runs, along with two tons and 23 half-centuries.