Before the start of IPL 2026, the biggest discussion was about Sanju Samson. Now, Samson is with Chennai Super Kings ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. Who will lead CSK in IPL 2026? That’s become a big question as they have Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, even MS Dhoni at the same squad.
In exchange for Samson, CSK had to trade their star all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR. Samson is considered a potential replacement for Dhoni at CSK. Like Dhoni, Samson is a wicketkeeper-batsman, known for his big shots, is popular, and also has captaincy experience in the IPL. This is why CSK has signed him. This has raised questions about whether the franchise would hand over the captaincy to Sanju.
Who is the captain of CSK for IPL 2026?
CSK has added Sanju Samson to its squad, but he will not be given the captaincy. CSK has appointed Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain. The team announced Gaikwad’s retention via social media. Gaikwad was also the team’s captain last season, but was ruled out for the second half due to injury. Dhoni then took over the captaincy.
With Sanju Samson’s inclusion in the team and his stature as a captain and batsman, it was believed that the team might appoint him as the next captain. However, CSK has retained its faith in Gaikwad. He will lead the team in IPL 2026. Samson could open the innings for CSK alongside Gaikwad. Between 2013 and 2025, Samson scored 4,704 runs in 177 matches, scoring 3 centuries and 26 half-centuries.
It’s worth noting that discussions about a trade between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have been ongoing for quite some time, but official confirmation came on Saturday. Saturday was the deadline for retaining players. Chennai has retained 16 players and has ₹43.40 crore remaining in its purse. Chennai has released a total of 11 players, including four foreign players. Chennai has released players like Deepak Hooda, Mathisha Pathirana, Rahul Tripathi, and Dwayne Conway.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals, which will now feature Ravindra Jadeja, are still undecided about their captaincy. Rajasthan Royals have released seven players, including Mahesh Theekshana and Hasaranga. Rajasthan has retained 16 players and has ₹16.05 crore remaining in its purse.