Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has stated that Chennai Super Kings won’t make a mistake by giving Sanju Samson the captaincy in the upcoming season of IPL. Samson’s move has already created plenty of buzz, with expectations building around him as a long-term leader, especially with MS Dhoni nearing the final phase of his career. The wicketkeeper-batter heads into the tournament on the back of a superb T20 World Cup campaign, where he played a key role in India’s title-winning run, further strengthening his case as a dependable figure for the franchise.
Samson was the face of Rajasthan Royals for over a decade, representing the franchise across 11 seasons. His move to Chennai Super Kings brings fresh challenges, placing him under intense scrutiny as expectations rise for the team to bounce back from the disappointments of the past few seasons.
Kaif said CSK won’t hand Samson the captaincy immediately, as expecting him to bat, keep wickets, and lead all at once would be too much. The plan is to let him grow into the role gradually, eventually stepping into Dhoni’s shoes, which is the long-term vision.
“I don’t think CSK will make the mistake of giving Sanju Samson the captaincy right now, because he has just joined. You can’t expect him to do everything at once, bat and win matches, keep wickets, and also captain the side. You don’t want to put that entire burden on him. The plan is to slowly let him grow into the role and eventually step into Dhoni’s shoes. That’s the long-term vision,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
‘Sanju still doesn’t fully understand Chennai’s culture’
The former batter further said there won’t be major changes at CSK, and backing Gaikwad as captain makes sense. He added that handing the role to new recruit Samson now would be premature, as he is still learning Chennai’s culture, fan expectations, and team dynamics.
“So there won’t be too many changes there. If responsibility has been given to Gaikwad, they won’t rush things. They will back him, and I feel that giving the captaincy to Sanju right now would be the wrong decision. I’ll explain the reason. The reason is that Sanju still doesn’t fully understand Chennai’s culture. He doesn’t yet know the expectations of Chennai’s fans or the dynamics of the players,” said Kaif.
