Delhi: If we look at the status of matches till April 7 in IPL 2026, it is surprising that Chennai Super Kings, which has won the IPL title 5 times, is at the bottom of the points table, but the bigger truth is that after losing all three of their matches, they have not even opened their points account yet. They are also at the bottom in net run rate with a score of -2.517.

No one had expected such a plight for the team with which MS Dhoni’s name is associated. Along with this, Stephen Fleming, who was called the ‘magical coach’ for the team, is still with the team. All this is happening under the captaincy of young captain Rituraj Gaikwad and everyone is currently showing Rituraj as a captain who is defeated and dejected after three matches of the season. That is why the discussion started that it has become necessary for the team to change the captain in the middle of the season. How much power is there in this issue:

1. Even in the Chennai team, there is direct comparison with Dhoni: In fact, MS Dhoni is such a big name in terms of reputation and records as a captain that it is not easy to bear the pressure of comparison with him.

This is happening for the second time in the CSK team itself. Even an experienced person like Ravindra Jadeja could not bear the pressure of comparison and he breathed a sigh of relief by handing over the captaincy back to Dhoni in the middle of the season. The same ‘plight’ is happening to Rituraj. It is true that at present Dhoni is neither the captain nor has played any match, but from making the team to making the team strategy, he is the mastermind. Due to this psychological pressure, captaincy is not easy for anyone.

2. Early and too much burden on the young shoulders of Rituraj Gaikwad: It has to be kept in mind that Rituraj got the captaincy when not only Dhoni’s best period of cricket had passed, but also those who were the core of the team were in the last stages of their careers due to their advancing age. The pressure of Dhoni’s presence on him was enough, the franchise also included Sanju Samson in the team. Additionally, the team’s poor performance has put a lot of pressure on Gaikwad.

All this has created instability for the team and it has become a volatile affair. Whoever you look at, the past history of the team (in 2022) is giving an example of Ravindra Jadeja leaving the captaincy and Dhoni taking over the captaincy in the middle of the season. Similarly, in 2025 also, Dhoni again took over the captaincy when Gaikwad was injured.

3. Was it right to make Ruturaj Gaikwad the captain in this period of change: From cricket point of view, experts believe that to stabilize the team, there is a need for a captain who has complete control over the team.

Dhoni also had to prepare a captain for the future but just as he handed over the captaincy to Virat at the right time for Team India, he did not make any such preparation for CSK. He himself came forward in every crisis and hence no one was ‘groomed’ properly. The result was that Dhoni directly switched to the young Rituraj whose stature as a cricketer was no match to his.

4. Now that Rituraj has been made the captain, support him and not just make him responsible for the defeat: Cricket history is full of such examples in which the team’s performance is affected during times of change. Even big teams like Australia and England could not escape this. So changing captaincy in the middle of the season is just ‘blaming each other’. The team, which also includes coach Stephen Fleming, continues to rely on the existing structure. The goal should be to play better going forward. Look at this season not as a way to win, but as a preparation for the future. What is the guarantee that adding someone else as captain in the middle of the season will dramatically improve the team’s performance and start winning?

5. Where are the options: The special thing to note this time is that instead of handing over the captaincy back to Dhoni, the team is considering Sanju Samson, who is playing his first season, as a contender to replace Ruturaj Gaikwad as the captain. The current situation is such that Sanju himself is under pressure as a batsman and has scored only 22 runs in 3 innings after coming into the team amidst great prestige. He should first cement his place in the team and then think about captaincy. Well, Sanju Samson has been the captain of Rajasthan Royals and because of his leadership experience, he is being seen as a long-term replacement for Dhoni, but a change in the middle of the season will not do any good. If this is done forcefully, it will create an awkward and perhaps destabilizing situation in the Chepauk camp for the season. It is wise to trust a young leader.