Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (right) and Sanju Samson (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar) (PTI04_03_2026_000298A) Former England captain Michael Vaughan and ex-New Zealand pacer Simon Doull have raised questions about the dynamic inside Chennai Super Kings, suggesting that captain Ruturaj Gaikwad might feel “threatened” by the presence of Sanju Samson. Speaking on Cricbuzz, the duo discussed Samson’s role before turning their attention to Gaikwad’s captaincy. “What about the captain, Gaikwade? Do you think he feels threatened (by Samson)?” Vaughan asked. “Absolutely,” replied Doull. Vaughan elaborated on the situation, pointing to the layered dynamics within the party. “(One of the youngest captains in the league, Gaikwad, he’s done it a little bit now and you’re kind of like, ‘Go on, we’ll back you, you’re the captain. But by the way, we’re signing Sanju, who’s a very good captain and he’s a goalkeeper. And guess what? We had a ‘keeper who’d been around for a long time and replaced him and we did very well. Keep leading and hope it doesn’t affect you.'” Samson, who has been the longest serving and one of the most successful captains in Rajasthan Royals, led the side to the final of IPL 2022, strengthening his leadership position. However, his start with CSK in IPL 2026 was underwhelming, with single-digit scores. Doull acknowledged the pressure surrounding a batsman at the wicket, especially after significant movement. “Tough challenge for him and it’s one of those situations you find yourself in when you’re not desperate but you want to play for a certain side and you want to put on a show,” Doull said. “I mean, he’s a boy from the South, right? He’s a boy from Kerala. He wants to put on a show. I think he feels like he’s more at home. There was a trade in the South; it was a big deal, as we talked about, you lost 2 high-quality players for one player. So the pressure is quite enormous, the pressure maybe on what sees him a few weeks ago.” And how he performed in the last 3 matches (in the T20 World Cup). The comments came after Chennai Super Kings slumped to their second straight defeat and were relegated to Punjab Kings despite scoring a competitive 209 for five. Punjab’s chase was anchored by skipper Shreyas Iyer who played a fluent 50 off 29 balls and stitched a crucial 59 with Nehal Wadhera. Contributions from Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly ensured the visitors chased down the target with five wickets in hand. Earlier, youngster Ayush Mhatre impressed with a 43-ball 73 while Gaikwad chipped in with 28 as CSK built a strong platform. But Samson’s early dismissal and slowing of the middle spin hurt the hosts, who managed 64 runs in the last five overs thanks to late strikes from Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube. In the end, despite a formidable total, CSK were outplayed by a composed Punjab unit, leaving questions not only about their bowling but also about the evolving leadership equation within the side.
