Should CSK change captain ahead of IPL 2027? Badrinath opines
What's the story
A section of the cricket world reckons that Ruturaj Gaikwad should be removed as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain ahead of IPL 2027. The young player took over the reins from legendary MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2024 but has struggled to replicate his predecessor's success. Under Gaikwad's leadership, CSK have failed to qualify for the playoffs in both seasons so far. This has led some fans to call for a change in captaincy ahead of IPL 2027.
Expert opinion
Former CSK player advises against changing captain
Former India cricketer and CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath has advised against changing the captain for IPL 2027.
Responding to a fan's query on social media platform X, he said that with just one season left before the mega auction, CSK should stick with its current leadership.
"One more season to go with the same squad, and then the mega auction, so no," Badrinath said.
Twitter Post
Here's what Badrinath posted!
One more season to go with the same squad, and then the mega auction, so no #AskBadri https://t.co/xDS8QyCmV0
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) September 19, 2026
Performance review
Gaikwad's struggles as skipper and batter
Since taking over as CSK captain, Gaikwad has led the team in 33 matches, winning just 14 of them.
He has lost 19 matches during his three-year tenure as CSK skipper.
His batting performance has also come under scrutiny, especially after a disappointing IPL 2026 season, where he scored only 337 runs at a strike rate of 123.44 despite opening most innings.
Transfer impact
The impact of Samson's acquisition on Gaikwad's captaincy
The debate over Gaikwad's captaincy intensified after CSK acquired Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament at ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, has a strong record as an IPL captain.
He led RR for five seasons and took them to the final in 2022 and third place in 2024.