New Delhi: Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has urged the franchise to sack Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain and replace him with
Sanju Samson. Badrinath said Samson is not only a better captain, but the move will also allow Gaikwad to focus on his batting and ease the pressure on him.
Badrinath’s comments came after CSK suffered a crushing 82-run defeat against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their last league match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 to miss out on a spot in the playoffs. CSK endured a dismal campaign in IPL 2026 with only six wins in 14 matches as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.
Gaikwad struggled with his personal form throughout the season, managing only 337 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44, including two half-centuries. The pressure of captaincy was quite evident as Gaikwad, the batter, failed to turn up for CSK in IPL 2026.
“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,” Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Gaikwad took over as CSK’s full-time captain from the legendary MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2024 and has now led the team in three seasons. CSK have managed only 14 wins in 33 matches under his captaincy and have failed to qualify for the playoffs even once. While his on-field decisions as captain have been scrutinised, Gaikwad’s personal form with the bat was a major concern for CSK throughout IPL 2026.
Removing Gaikwad from captaincy will be beneficial for him and CSK: Badrinath
Badrinath believes removing Gaikwad from captaincy might prove beneficial for both CSK and the batter himself. Citing the example of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Badrinath explained how the pressure of captaincy is not easy to deal with for every batter and said the decision to relieve Gaikwad from captaincy will help both parties.
“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 only to him,” said Badrinath.
“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. Not everyone can have the clarity to compartmentalise between the roles,” he added.
CSK’s campaign in the IPL 2026 concluded with their shocking defeat against the Gujarat Titans on Thursday. The five-time champions are once again left with a lot to ponder upon as another revamp is expected ahead of the next season.
