IPL 2026: Manoj Tiwary Suggests Sanju Samson As Future CSK Captain

Manoj Tiwary questioned Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy after CSK’s IPL 2026 defeat and suggested Sanju Samson could be CSK’s captain next season.

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary questioned Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy after Chennai Super Kings slipped closer to IPL 2026 elimination with a five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk. Gaikwad struggled for 18 off 21 balls on a difficult surface, continuing a disappointing season with the bat.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Tiwary said Gaikwad should focus on creating his own identity instead of trying to replace MS Dhoni after taking over the captaincy in 2024. He added that a captain needs confidence from personal performances, something Gaikwad has lacked this season. The CSK skipper has scored 321 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 120.67 in IPL 2026.

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“You said Ruturaj needs to fill his (Dhoni’s) shoes. I feel there isn’t any shoe of that size yet. He should focus on building his own legacy, and for that, he has to do extensive research on his past matches and identify where he needs to improve, and only after that can he prepare to be a captain next season. A captain can only be positive when he himself is scoring runs. But he isn’t scoring runs. He is lacking that fluency,” he said.

Tiwary also suggested Sanju Samson could become CSK’s captain next season. He said Samson’s leadership experience with Rajasthan Royals and his batting ability make him a strong option. Gaikwad has now led CSK for two consecutive seasons after replacing Dhoni as captain.

“As of now, we know CSK can win matches without Dhoni, but if they change the captain, the wicketkeeper, nothing can replace his absence on the field. But rest assured, it has been confirmed that they can win matches without him. They now need to consider how to build the team,” he added.

“Let’s see if he remains the captain next season, because I feel that Samson is in the fray. And it will be a good decision as well. If Chennai brought him for a specific reason, they might see him as a leader. Gaikwad has been the captain for two seasons, and that’s why they extended that period this season. But Samson could be the skipper next year. Irrespective of where they finish, they have to decide, and Samson is the best person because he led RR as well and is a good batsman as well,” he said.

Their IPL 2026 campaign now hangs by a thread with only a 6 per cent chance of reaching the playoffs. Chennai’s five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk on Sunday pushed them closer to elimination. The loss also confirmed SRH’s qualification for the IPL 2026 playoffs.