IPL: Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead CSK despite Sanju Samson trade
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to captain the team in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Super Kings announced the same after releasing their list of retained and released players. The decision puts an end to speculation about a possible change in leadership after Sanju Samson's recent trade from Rajasthan Royals.
Twitter Post
CSK's official confirmation
LEAD THE WAY, CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD!💪🦁#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/EawvX5k2yI
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) November 15, 2025
Captaincy history
Gaikwad's leadership journey with CSK
Gaikwad was named the captain of CSK for the IPL 2024 season, a year in which they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot. He continued to lead the team in 2025 but was ruled out midway owing to an injury. MS Dhoni took over as captain and led the team for the remainder of that season. CSK, who finished last, won just four matches.
Team performance
CSK's performance in IPL 2025
Despite Dhoni's best efforts, CSK had a disappointing run in IPL 2025. The team finished last for the first time in IPL history. However, Gaikwad has been a consistent performer for CSK since his debut in 2020. He has scored over 2,500 runs at an average of 40.35 and a strike rate of nearly 140 across 71 matches. The Indian batter also has two IPL tons.
Team changes
Samson joins CSK roster
In a major move, CSK traded their star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals for wicketkeeper-batter Samson. While Jadeja's fee has been revised from ₹18 crore to ₹14 crore, Samson was traded for his existing fee (₹18 crore). Samson, who earlier captained the Royals, is expected to shine in the yellow jersey. However, he will be led by Gaikwad.
List
CSK: List of retained and released players
Retained players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, R Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, and Mukesh Choudhary. Released players: Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, C Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Matheesha Pathirana.