CSK Told To Sack Ruturaj Gaikwad As Captain, Replace Him With... Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Subramaniam Badrinath has publicly urged the franchise to remove Ruturaj Gaikwad from his captaincy role and replace him with Sanju Samson, citing the latter’s superior leadership qualities and the potential benefits for both the player and the team. Badrinath argued that Gaikwad’s performance as a batter has been hampered by the responsibilities of leading the side, and that transitioning him back to his primary role as a batsman would allow him to thrive. Gaikwad, who became the fourth player to captain CSK and the first after MS Dhoni to lead the team for over 30 matches, has faced significant challenges this season. Despite his reputation as a formidable T20 batter, his captaincy has not translated into consistent results. Leading a team that has struggled with injuries and a lack of form, Gaikwad has secured 14 wins in 33 matches, failing to secure a playoff berth. His batting statistics this season have also been subpar, with 337 runs scored at a strike rate of 123.44. Notably, he became the first captain-opener to play more than 20 balls without scoring a boundary, a stark contrast to his usual aggressive style. Badrinath emphasized that Gaikwad’s batting prowess is more critical to CSK’s success than his captaincy. “Ruturaj Gaikwad should not lead CSK,” Badrinath stated on his YouTube channel. “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.” The former player highlighted that removing Gaikwad from the captaincy would free him to focus on his batting, which he believes would significantly improve his performance.#sanju_samson #chennai_super_kings #ruturaj_gaikwad #ipl #subramaniam_badrinath
