IPL 2026: ‘Sanju Samson will captain CSK’ - Ashwin makes bold claim on leadership shift

Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Sanju Samson as a potential future captain of Chennai Super Kings, while making it clear that the wicketkeeper-batter must build his own legacy rather than inherit someone else’s.

Reflecting on CSK’s leadership evolution, Ashwin pointed out that the transition has been in motion for a while. He traced it back to the period when Ravindra Jadeja briefly took over the captaincy, even though that phase did not go as planned. Since then, according to Ashwin, current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has quietly taken charge alongside head coach Stephen Fleming.

“I think the mantle is already passed on. When Jadeja took over the captaincy a few years ago, I think that is when the mantle was likely to be passed on. Didn’t quite work out, and then it’s been, Ruturaj… I think Ruturaj has been running the show for the last 2-3 years along with Fleming,” Ashwin told ESPNCricinfo.

Looking ahead, Ashwin feels Samson could eventually lead the franchise, although he avoided putting a timeframe on it.

“The mantle passing over, if you ask me, I mean, I’m no astrologer, but all I can tell you is I do see Sanju captaining CSK at some stage. Don’t know when, but I do see that happening,” he added.

At the same time, Ashwin stressed that Samson should not feel compelled to follow the path set by past leaders, a nod to CSK’s iconic era under MS Dhoni.

“The one thing I wouldn’t want to risk upon or don’t want for Sanju is him stepping into anybody’s shoes. You don’t have to really step into anybody’s legacy. We don’t necessarily need to live like that nor play like that,” he said.

“He’s got his own unique clothing in which he lives, and I would like to see his own imprint on it. The very fact that we need to follow somebody’s footsteps is where the issue begins. Then we don’t live our lives, right? We start catering to somebody else’s footprints. That is something I don’t want to see him do,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson, who joined CSK ahead of the IPL 2026 auction through a trade, has turned his season around impressively after an underwhelming start. He produced a stunning unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in CSK’s fourth game and carried that form into the next match with a fluent 48 off 32 deliveries.

He will once again be under the spotlight when CSK take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

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