Former India head coach and legendary spinner Anil Kumble has a clear advice for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Ruturaj Gaikwad. Despite getting the services of former Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson, Kumble wants Gaikwad to open the batting to provide more stability. In the previous season, before he got injured, Gaikwad batted at no.3 as Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra open the batting. When Gaikwad was ruled out, CSK tried many options and a young Ayush Mhatre proved his mettle as replacement player.
"It's great to see Ruturaj Gaikwad back as captain of the Chennai Super Kings after his injury last season. My clear advice to him is to open the batting himself. While they have Sanju Samson and the promising Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj is best suited as an opener for CSK. His leadership and batting at the top will provide the stability the team needs," Kumble said on JioStar.
Kumble lists out Rajasthan Royals captaincy candidates
Kumble weighed in on the debate around Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) next captain. In addition to Jadeja, he named three existing players in Royals’ squad who can lead the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
"Ravindra Jadeja returning to Rajasthan Royals is a big move. Generally, CSK doesn't let go of their players, especially someone of Jadeja's quality who has had a long relationship with them. I was surprised they let him go. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson coming to CSK is certainly a great move for them. Interestingly, Jadeja has also taken a pay cut from 18 crore to 14 crore. The big question is about captaincy - could Rajasthan offer it to Jadeja?” Kumble asked.
“They need to find a new captain. They have several options - Riyan Parag led them in a couple of matches last season, Yashasvi Jaiswal has always harbored captaincy dreams, young Dhruv Jurel has the right temperament, and there's overseas option Sam Curran. So Ravindra Jadeja becomes another interesting possibility for their leadership role," he further added.
Apart from the trades, RR did not make many changes. They will go into the mini-auction Rs 16.05 crore. There is only one overseas slot available for them.