Sanju Samson of Chennai Super Kings (PTI Photo) India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Sanju Samson as a potential future captain of Chennai Super Kings, while making it clear that the wicketkeeper must build his own legacy and not inherit someone else’s.Ashwin reflected on the evolution of CSK’s management and pointed out that a transition has been in motion for some time. He traced it back to the period when Ravindra Jadeja briefly took over the captaincy, although that phase did not go according to plan. Since then, current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has quietly taken charge alongside head coach Stephen Fleming, according to Ashwin.
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Ajinkya Rahane press conference: On another defeat, Cameron Green and more “I think the mantle has already been passed. When Jadeja took over the captaincy a few years ago, I think that’s when the mantle was probably passed on. It didn’t quite work out and then it was 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 that Samson could eventually lead the franchise, though he avoided giving a time frame for it.“The mantle is passing, if you ask me, I mean, I’m no astrologer, but all I can tell you is that I see Sanja captaining CSK at some stage. I don’t know when, but I can see it happening,” he added.At the same time, Ashwin emphasized that Samson should not feel forced to follow the path laid by past leaders, a nod to CSK’s iconic era under MS Dhoni.“One thing I wouldn’t want to risk or want for Sanja is stepping into someone’s shoes. You don’t really have to step into someone’s legacy. We don’t necessarily live like that or play like that,” he said.“He has his own unique clothes that he lives in, and I would like to see his own imprint on it. The problem starts with the need to follow someone’s footsteps. Then we don’t live our lives, do we? We start caring about someone else’s footsteps. That’s something I don’t want him to do,” he explained.Meanwhile, Sanju Samson, who joined CSK ahead of the IPL 2026 auction through a trade, has impressively turned his season around after a stunning start. In the fourth match, CSK produced a stunning unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals and carried that form into the next match with a fluent 48 off 32 deliveries.He will again be in the limelight when CSK take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
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