Ruturaj Gaikwad has been leading the Chennai Super Kings in the past two seasons. While the five-time champions have not made it to the playoffs in each of those seasons, Gaikwad has found a lot of love and support from the CSK fans.
However, that could change with fan-favourite Sanju Samson being traded into the squad of the five-time champions. There is no doubt over the fact that Samson has one of the highest fan followings in India, especially in the southern region of the country. The five-time champions would have to make the tough decision of picking their skipper after looking at the impressive resumes of the two batters as captains.
Sanju Samson as captain in IPL
Sanju Samson undoubtedly has more experience in leading a side in the Indian Premier League. The wicketkeeper-batter led the inaugural champions, Rajasthan Royals, from 2021 to 2025 before leaving the franchise.
| Sanju Samson As Captain in IPL | |
| Total Matches | 67 |
| Wins | 33 |
| Loss | 32 |
| Tied | 1 |
| No Result | 1 |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 1.03 |
Samson has a positive win/loss ratio despite having led the Royals in 67 games. Under his captaincy, the Royals made their second final in 2022. They went on to lose the clash against the Gujarat Titans by seven wickets.
Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain in IPL
In comparison to Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad has led in fewer games in the IPL. The right-handed batter was appointed as the captain of CSK ahead of 2024. In only his second season as captain, Gaikwad was injured, and MS Dhoni led the team in his absence, cutting short his captaincy stint.
| Ruturaj Gaikwad As Captain in IPL | |
| Total Matches | 19 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Loss | 11 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 0.72 |
Gaikwad’s win/loss ratio of 0.72 does not have much to write about. However, fortunately for him, CSK does not like to switch and change things around too much, which could work in his favour when it comes to deciding the captaincy.
Sanju Samson as captain in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Both Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad have led their respective teams in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). SMAT, India’s premier domestic T20 competition, helps future captains in honing their skills.
As was the case in the IPL, Samson has led Kerala in SMAT in more matches.
| Sanju Samson As Captain in SMAT | |
| Total Matches | 38 |
| Wins | 22 |
| Loss | 16 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 1.37 |
Samson’s record as a captain in SMAT is slightly better than his record in the Indian Premier League. Under his captaincy, Kerala has never made it to the final of the tournament.
Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the full-time captain of Maharashtra in the previous season in SMAT. However, the right-handed batter led the side in some games in 2021 as well.
| Ruturaj Gaikwad As Captain in SMAT | |
| Total Matches | 19 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Loss | 9 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 1.11 |
Gaikwad’s record as the skipper of Maharashtra is much better than his time at CSK. However, he still falls short of Samson, who has a better win/loss ratio.
