CEO of the Chennai Super Kings, Kasi Viswanathan, has backed their skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for the coming seasons stating that he is a very calm captain. This would be a huge relief for the CSK captain as there were a lot of questions raised on his captaincy after their early exit in the tournament.
Some of the experts even stated that the captaincy should have been given to Sanju Samson as he has been a fantastic leader for the Rajasthan Royals in the past. But, it was highly likely that CSK has already groomed their future captain and they would be sticking onto it in the near future.
"Ruturaj took over from MS after having watched him for 3-4 years. MS & Fleming have developed Ruturaj into a very calm captain. I am sure that in the years to come,
he will also imbibe that quality in some of the cricketers who come in to play for CSK," said Viswanathan. The intent seems to be quite clear from the management and next season could be pivotal for Ruturaj Gaikwad to prove his worth as captain with other captaincy options present as well.
CSK’s fighting spirit and transition phase shaped their IPL 2026 campaign
The Chennai Super Kings have made it quite clear in the last years of MS Dhoni being the captain that Ruturaj Gaikwad would take over the baton. The biggest learning experience for the young skipper would be to witness how Dhoni handled the team in pressure moments and how he kept the environments healthy.
We have seen in the past that even though Ruturaj Gaikwad is the skipper of the side, there has been the constant mentorship of Dhoni and this season is his first season with no additional support from the former CSK captain.
However, CSK did not do a disastrous job in the league stage as despite having a difficult start with 3 losses on the trot, they managed to put themselves in contention for the playoff spot till the end. That hasn’t been the same story for the majority of the teams and CSK have shown some solid character.
Sanju Samson was their highest run-getter in the season with some match-winning knocks. They even won some good games with their youngsters stepping up and there indeed has been promising signs for the five-time IPL champions.
As the Chennai Super Kings are undergoing a transition period as stated by Ruturaj Gaikwad, the next season would indeed be a massive test for the side. They will have to make some important decisions in the auction and let go of some of their core players. It could be bittersweet for the fans but some sacrifices will have to be made for the betterment of the franchise.
