Sanju Samson ends CSK captaincy aspirations with classy statement

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper and batter Sanju Samson has taken on Chepauk like a duck to water in the IPL 2026. The 31-year-old has been at his best with the bat, scoring 402 runs this season with two centuries and a fifty. Ahead of the game against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, the 31-year-old spoke to former batter Abhinav Mukund on the CSK podcast recently. 

The opening batter was asked if he aspired to become the side’s captain in the near future. Replying to this question, Sanju said, “No, I am not looking at captaincy, because when you go to a new home, you don’t enter with demands. I have learned to be very honest.” T20 World Cup’s player of the year was traded from Rajasthan Royals, with veteran Ravindra Jadeja going the other way. 

“You go to a new team to prove your worth and work hard. The team has placed massive trust in me, and I want to give it my best and repay the faith.” Samson added further during his chat with Mukund on the podcast. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, during a chat with ESPN Cricinfo, had said that the star batter could lead the side in the future. “I see Sanju leading the side in a few years, don’t know when, but it could happen.” Ashwin had said. 

Super Kings star throws his weight behind the current skipper

Ruturaj Gaikwad had the huge task of stepping into MS Dhoni’s shoes after the regular skipper stepped down for a second time. The earlier experiment to go with Jadeja as the captain failed a few seasons ago, with Dhoni being handed the captaincy after just eight matches. 

When asked about Gaikwad’s captaincy, the Kerala-born batter said, “He (Ruturaj) is a very honest person, and a superstar. Despite leading one of the biggest sides in the world, his body language shows a lot of assurance and confidence. He lets his actions speak louder than words.”

Former champions looking to win their third successive game

The five-time IPL winners will face off against Rishabh Pant- led Lucknow on Sunday afternoon in a key encounter. Men in Yellow are currently placed sixth in the points table with 12 points from 10 games. If they manage to secure the two points at home with a big margin, the home side could potentially go 4th in the table for a few hours. 

Ruturaj and his men have beaten the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in their last two games. Their form picked up after a terrible start to the campaign, which saw the Chennai-based side lose their first three games. The hopes of the home fans will be placed on their new favourite once again, to deliver with the bat and help the team win to keep their playoff hopes alive.