Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary stated that Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has done no justice to filling MS Dhoni’s shoes in a leadership role after their loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chepauk on Monday, May 18. He further backed fellow opener Sanju Samson to take up the reins in the future due to his past leadership experience.
Electing to bat first, the skipper scored a lethargic 15 off 21 balls, as the team reached 180 for 7 in their 20 overs. Tiwary stated that the responsibilities of being a captain have taken a toll on Gaikwad’s batting, and he would need to go back to the drawing board to understand where to improve. Gaikwad has had a disappointing season with the bat, scoring 321 runs from 13 matches, at a dismal strike rate of 120.67.
“You said Ruturaj needs to fill his (Dhoni’s) shoes. I feel there isn’t any shoe of that size yet. He should focus on building his own legacy, and for that, he has to do extensive research on his past matches and identify where he needs to improve, and only after that can he prepare to be a captain next season. A captain can only be positive when he himself is scoring runs. But he isn’t scoring runs. He is lacking that fluency,” Tiwary said, speaking on Cricbuzz.
With new star man Samson lighting up the field for the Super Kings in 2026, Tiwary believes that he could be given the reins in the future due to his earlier experience as skipper of the Rajasthan Royals. Samson has scored 477 runs at a strike rate of 166.20, which includes two magnificent centuries in wins against the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, respectively.
“Let’s see if he remains the captain next season, because I feel that Samson is in the fray. And it will be a good decision as well. If Chennai brought him for a specific reason, they might see him as a leader. Gaikwad has been the captain for two seasons, and that’s why they extended that period this season. But Samson could be the skipper next year. Irrespective of where they finish, they have to decide, and Samson is the best person because he led RR as well and is a good batsman as well,” he said.
Can win matches without MS Dhoni: Manoj Tiwary
Tiwary further added that the Super Kings have found a winning formula to rely on even in the absence of the talismanic MS Dhoni. The legendary wicketkeeper has yet to feature in the 2026 season owing to a calf injury. He led the Super Kings to their five titles, playing vital roles in all five with his leadership and contributions with the bat and behind the stumps. Tiwary now believes they have to build a team which can maximise the match-winners present in their team.Â
“As of now, we know CSK can win matches without Dhoni, but if they change the captain, the wicketkeeper, nothing can replace his absence on the field. But rest assured, it has been confirmed that they can win matches without him. They now need to consider how to build the team,” he added.
The five-time champions finish their campaign against the Gujarat Titans on May 21 in Ahmedabad. They still hold on to a glimmer of hope to qualify for the playoffs, but with the dependence on other teams’ results, it would require a miracle.
