Ruturaj Gaikwad 'Threatened' by Sanju Samson? Experts Question CSK Captaincy After PBKS Loss
CSK is off to a disappointing start in IPL 2026, with their second successive defeat, this time against Punjab Kings. While their on-field performance is coming under scrutiny, there is one particular aspect that is now being discussed amongst former players.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan and New Zealand paceman Simon Doull have shared their thoughts on the team's dressing room dynamics on a Cricbuzz show, suggesting that the presence of Sanju Samson may be putting skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad
"What about the captain, Gaikwad? Do you think he feels threatened [by Samson]?" Vaughan asked.
"Absolutely," Doull replied.
Vaughan went on to explain his reasoning as well:
“[One of the league’s] youngest captains Gaikwad, he’s done it a bit now and you kind of go, ‘Go on, we’re gonna back you, you’re the captain. But by the way, we’re signing Sanju, who’s a very good captain and he’s a keeper. And guess what? We’ve had a keeper who was a captain for a long period of time and did very well, and we’re gonna try and replace him. But you carry on captaining and hope it doesn’t affect you.'”
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Samson under pressure, CSK lose again
Sanju Samson
Doull spoke about the burden on Samson following his blockbuster trade:
“Tough challenge for him, and it’s one of those situations you find yourself in when you’re not desperate, but when you want to play for a certain side and you want to put on a show. I mean, he is a South boy, isn’t he? He is a Kerala boy. He wants to put on a show. I think he feels like he’s more at home."
He added:
"In the South, the trade happened; it was a big trade as we’ve talked about, you’ve lost 2 high quality players for one player. So the pressure’s quite enormous, the pressure of maybe what they see him as in the future as well. But he just got to think back to a few weeks ago, doesn’t he? And how was he playing in the last 3 games [in the T20 World Cup].”
In the game, Chennai posted 209/5 riding on 73 from 43 deliveries and 28 from Ruturaj Gaikwad. The finishing touches were provided by Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube, who smashed 64 in the final 5 overs.
However, Punjab Kings chased down the mammoth total with 5 wickets in hand. Shreyas Iyer led the charge with 50 off 29 deliveries and was well supported by a 59-run stand with Nehal Wadhera. Contributions from Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly also helped their cause. Despite the mammoth total, CSK failed to defend and are facing criticism not just for their bowling but for their leadership as well.