Ravichandran Ashwin believes Sanju Samson could become a future captain of Chennai Super Kings, but he also underlined that the wicketkeeper-batter should forge his own identity instead of trying to occupy the space of a past leader. Speaking on CSK\u2019s leadership evolution, the veteran off-spinner said the change has been unfolding for some time, with the groundwork laid during earlier captaincy switches and then solidified in recent seasons.<\/p>\n
Ashwin pointed to the period when Ravindra Jadeja briefly led the side as an early moment in that leadership shift, even though it \u201cdidn\u2019t quite work out.\u201d From there, the off-spinner suggested the mantle gradually moved toward the current setup.<\/p>\n
In Ashwin\u2019s view, Ruturaj Gaikwad has effectively been running the show for the last couple of years, working alongside head coach Stephen Fleming. He also framed the transition as already complete in spirit\u2014implying that captaincy responsibility has been passing hands internally as the team\u2019s internal leadership matured.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Ashwin said he can envision Samson eventually steering CSK, though he avoided specifying a timeline. He made it clear that his belief is based on what he sees in the player\u2019s trajectory rather than any certainty about dates.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Ashwin cautioned Samson against feeling pressured to replicate the paths of previous CSK captains\u2014an implicit reference to the franchise\u2019s iconic era under MS Dhoni. In Ashwin\u2019s words, leadership should not be about imitation or \u201cstepping into anybody\u2019s shoes,\u201d but about creating something distinct.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Samson\u2019s own season has shifted sharply after a slow start. He joined CSK ahead of the IPL 2026 auction through a trade, and since then has shown signs of finding consistent rhythm and impact at the crease.<\/p>\n
After an underwhelming opening phase, Samson responded in style in CSK\u2019s fourth match, producing an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals. He then carried that momentum forward with another strong performance, scoring 48 off 32 deliveries in the subsequent game.<\/p>\n
Samson will be back in the spotlight again when CSK face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Ravichandran Ashwin believes Sanju Samson could become a future captain of Chennai Super Kings, but he also underlined that the wicketkeeper-batter should forge his own…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ashwin: Sanju Samson Could Lead CSK Next in IPL","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ravichandran Ashwin on why Sanju Samson may captain CSK in future, stressing leadership growth and creating his own identity in IPL.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n