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Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) new recruit Sanju Samson is happy to play under Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy. Samson is slated to begin a new chapter in his IPL career, joining CSK for the 2026 season. The veteran player was acquired by the Yellow Army from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a blockbuster swap trade. Samson, who served as RR's captain from 2021 through 2025, was widely anticipated to be named the new leader for CSK. However, he will continue his career under the existing captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
In a recent interaction released by the franchise, Samson addressed his role and relationship with the current skipper. He confirmed his desire to play under Ruturaj, whom he described as a good friend. This video was released just days after CSK confirmed that Ruturaj would indeed continue to lead the side.
"Rutu is a good friend of mine. He is the Captain and I want to play under his captaincy. I want to be with him as a leader," Samson said.
This move marks the first time Samson will play for CSK, following his decision to leave RR, a topic he had discussed with the franchise during the IPL 2025 season itself.
According to RR owner Manoj Badale Sanju Samson’s decision to move on stemmed from emotional fatigue within the franchise. Badale revealed that Samson first discussed leaving towards the end of the season, specifically in Kolkata, during a meeting held after a match.
"He's a very honest guy, and he was personally, emotionally drained. He cares a huge amount about RR, and I think having our worst season in 18 years took a lot out of him," Badale told the RR media.
In exchange for Samson, RR acquired two prominent players: Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. This trade marks a return for Jadeja, who began his IPL career with RR in 2008 and played two seasons before coming back to the franchise after a 17-year gap. Sam Curran, on the other hand, will be playing for the Rajasthan Royals for the first time in his career. Looking ahead to the IPL 2027 season, RR will be searching for a new captain. Ravindra Jadeja is being considered a strong candidate to lead the franchise. Additionally, young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel are also expected to be in contention for the captaincy role.
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