Chennai Super Kings are counted among the most successful franchises in IPL history, yet the trophy cabinet has stayed shut since 2021. Since that title triumph, the side has failed to even reach the playoffs, and the slide has continued season after season. Last time out, playing under Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy, Chennai finished seventh on the table. With IPL 2027 drawing closer, the franchise's management is now weighing several major calls about the squad's direction, and former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh has stepped in with a pointed suggestion of his own: it is time to make Sanju Samson the captain.
Ramesh's case for a captaincy change
Ramesh feels Chennai Super Kings must seriously examine handing the leadership to Samson before the next season gets underway. In his view, the franchise is already running through its options at the top and asking itself whether change is even necessary at this stage. He argued that Samson deserves to be seen as captaincy material precisely because of the kind of team player he is. "CSK's captaincy should change, and if it does, CSK must seriously think about Sanju Samson," Ramesh said.
Samson's journey from Rajasthan to Chennai
Samson had been leading Rajasthan Royals for several seasons before he moved to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026. His opening few outings for the new franchise did not go particularly well, but he found his form soon after and produced a string of match-winning innings as the season progressed. Chennai still could not force their way into the playoffs, yet Samson still ended the campaign as the franchise's highest run-scorer. Because he had captained Rajasthan Royals for years, his switch to Chennai immediately triggered speculation that the franchise could eventually hand him the leadership role. The team management, however, chose to persist with Ruturaj Gaikwad instead.
What Samson's leadership record shows
Ramesh backed his argument with Samson's captaincy numbers from across the IPL. Samson has led teams in 66 IPL matches so far, winning 33 of them, which works out to a success rate of 50 percent. Rajasthan Royals performed strongly whenever he was in charge, reaching one final and making it into the playoffs on another occasion under his leadership. Ramesh was quick to add that Chennai Super Kings need to fix far more than just the captaincy, and that installing Samson alone will not hand them a trophy. Even so, he insisted that if the franchise does decide to change its captain, Samson has to be given serious consideration for the role. Whether Chennai Super Kings act on that advice remains to be seen, but the suggestion has added fresh fuel to the debate over who should lead the side into IPL 2027.
