'Ruturaj Gaikwad’s importance has reduced with Sanju Samson’s arrival' - Kris Srikkanth’s huge claim ahead of IPL 2027 auction
Kris Srikkanth believes Ruturaj Gaikwad should still be retained by Chennai Super Kings despite Sanju Samson's arrival, but acknowledges the captain's diminished importance in the franchise's plans.
Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has offered his perspective on Chennai Super Kings' retention strategy as the franchise prepares for the IPL 2027 auction. With the retention deadline set for November 17, Srikkanth addressed the future of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad following the arrival of Sanju Samson at the five-time IPL-winning franchise.
Srikkanth acknowledged a significant shift in Gaikwad's standing within the team structure since Samson joined CSK ahead of last season. However, he maintained that the captain should remain with the franchise, citing his past contributions and the need for stability during the retention window.
"Why should he be released? He should surely be retained. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s importance has reduced with Sanju Samson’s arrival. But Gaikwad has done very well for CSK in the past," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
"Yes, he has done nothing deadly in the last two years. Still, I won’t release him at this juncture. They can see to that for the mega auction next year. Now they should retain a steady team," he added.
Should Gaikwad continue as CSK captain?
Gaikwad's recent performances have raised concerns among CSK supporters. The captain accumulated 459 runs across 19 matches in the last two IPL seasons, representing a notable decline from his earlier output. In IPL 2026, Gaikwad managed 337 runs, while Samson, who joined CSK ahead of that campaign, scored 477 runs in the same season.
On the question of captaincy, Srikkanth backed Gaikwad to continue leading CSK into the 2027 season. He ruled out the possibility of handing the captaincy to Samson, citing the batter's limited tenure with the franchise and his inconsistent scoring pattern across IPL seasons.
"I will also continue with Ruturaj as the captain and not change the captaincy now. Who else can CSK appoint as captain? I won’t make Sanju Samson the captain now," Srikkanth said.
"He has played only one season for CSK and hasn’t done anything so deadly as a captain for RR. Samson has also scored in only four innings per IPL season. So I will retain Gaikwad and continue with him as captain also," he added.
Gaikwad's track record with CSK remains noteworthy when assessed across a longer period. From 2021 to 2024, the captain aggregated over 550 runs across three seasons, a phase during which CSK won the IPL title twice, demonstrating his value to the franchise during their most successful years.
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