Ahead of IPL 2026 Sanju Samson likely to get leadership role in CSK: Report

Sanju Samson is likely to get a leadership role in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming Indian Premier League season (IPL 2026). It is speculated that the keeper-batter can be appointed as the vice-captain of the team in the IPL 2026 season, while Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue as their skipper.

After the rare setback in the IPL 2025 season, the franchise invested heavily in future prospects. As MS Dhoni is closing in on IPL retirement, the management had to find someone who can fit the profile: a keeper-batter with leadership qualities. Sanju Samson, on paper, is the best candidate to be named. According to reports, Chennai Super Kings are reportedly planning a big leadership transition ahead of IPL 2026, and all signs point towards Sanju Samson being appointed as the new vice-captain of the franchise.

Before the IPL 2026 auction, CSK secured the service of Samson for a hefty fee of 18 crore. To make the trade deal possible with Rajasthan Royals, CSK let their veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja go along with exciting English all-rounder Sam Curran, which showed the amount of faith CSK officials have in Sanju Samson. Samson was the captain of Rajasthan Royals.

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Apart from Dhoni and Sanju, youngster Urvil Patel is also the wicketkeeper for Chennai Super Kings. So, it will be interesting to see who will be their regular keeper-batter in the IPL 2026 season. If Dhoni plays only as an impact player, then it is possible to see Samson as their first-choice keeper-batter.

CSK IPL 2026 Squad:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, and Zak Foulkes.