One More Year? What Lies Ahead For CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Under Coach Zaheer Khan - Decoded

Amidst all the buzz around IPL trades and the auction, one IPL captain has stayed in the background - Ruturaj Gaikwad. While big franchises like the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders have not exactly lived up to their billing in recent times, the same cannot be said about Chennai Super Kings. And being their captain, Gaikwad will be under focus too when the next season starts in March 2027. Five-time champions CSK have seen a change of guard with new coach Stephen Fleming making way for Zaheer Khan.

Under captain Gaikwad, CSK finished eighth in IPL 2026, but former batter Subramaniam Badrinath says he will be persisted with for at least one more season.

"Ruturaj will definitely continue as captain. But for a year now, he's not had a lot of input in picking players for the squad. So maybe they will give him one more year and decide after that. They would want to see if there is a good relationship between the captain and coach, as Zaheer also comes from the west," he said in a video on his YouTube channel, as quoted bySportskeeda.

As CSK captain, in 33 matches, Gaikwad has won 14 games. Badrinath added that the next IPL will be a test for other CSK seniors too.

"This year will be a test for many. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and even Sanju Samson. This will be an important year for all of them. They need to pull their weight. They are senior players. It can't be like they will perform in one out of four games and stay as senior players. You have expectations of them. It will be a big test for all the senior players in CSK," he said.

Meanwhile, former India batter Abhinav Mukund believes five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should not even consider trading away young batter Ayush Mhatre, saying he's the 'next big thing' for the franchise. He also suggested that the five-time champions explore a trade for Urvil Patel ahead of the November 17 retention deadline for IPL 2027, before the auction happens on December 16 in Goa. Mhatre, who led India to this year's U19 World Cup triumph, has undergone surgery for his right hamstring injury after suffering a tear on his return to action in the Ranji Trophy last month.

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