Subramaniam Badrinath picks replacement captain for Ruturaj Gaikwad after IPL 2026 elimination

Former Indian batter Subramanian Badrinath believes Sanju Samson should lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2027 instead of Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK’s campaign ended in the ongoing season after they suffered an 89-run loss against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the CSK captain scored 337 runs in 14 matches at a below-par strike rate of 123.44 in IPL 2026 and thus could not lead from the front. 

On the other hand, Sanju Samson was CSK’s best batter in IPL 2026, scoring 477 runs in 14 matches at an average of 43.36 and a strike rate of 165.62. Samson also has the experience of leading Rajasthan Royals in the past.

Badrinath said on his YouTube Channel, “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 reckons Gaikwad will perform better as a batter if he is freed of the captaincy onus.

“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. 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.”

The former CSK batter reckons not everyone can have the clarity to compartmentalise between batting and leadership.

“Not everyone can have the clarity to compartmentalize between the roles. Dhoni always had it from the start, and Rohit Sharma was naturally born with it. Even Virat Kohli is not leading RCB, and Patidar is doing it superbly while Kohli remains one of the best T20 batters in the world. So a switch in captaincy can make a big difference,” said Badrinath (via the aforementioned source).

Gaikwad will look to come up with an improved performance in the next season.