Sanju Samson leading CSK without the title: How he’s stepping up in Dhoni’s absence

Once a captain, always the captain! Sanju Samson has not been given the captaincy at Chennai Super Kings after making a Rs 18 crore move to the franchise from Rajasthan Royals, a team he led for five years. But he remains their de facto captain in the absence of MS Dhoni.

Dhoni has not played a single match for CSK in IPL 2026 due to a calf injury, and Ruturaj Gaikwad continues to captain the side. The Maharashtra batter was made the captain in 2024, but his current form has not lived up to the expectations.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has made just 104 at a strike rate of 119.54 in seven matches so far, with CSK winning three of them. It was only two wins before the 'El Clasico' against the Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium.

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And while Gaikwad failed, Samson, who many want to be the CSK captain, took the required responsibility with a blistering 101 not out off 54 balls as Chennai posted a mammoth 207/6. Akeal Hosein then took four wickets and CSK bowlers outshined their opponents as they won by 103 runs, MI's biggest defeat.

Sanju Samson emerges as CSK’s de facto leader

While speaking to the broadcasters after the match, Samson highlighted that his mindset was to take the responsibility and play till the end, rather than following a slam-bang approach.

"We actually kept on losing wickets here and there. Whenever we wanted to go big, I think we were losing a few wickets. So, I thought it's very important for a settled batsman to stay until the end. That's what I tried, and that's what happened today. The game tells you what to do. You don't have to come with a preconceived mindset, and you don't have to be premeditating, telling yourself this is how I play or this is what I want to do," Samson said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"With the experience I have, the team definitely comes first. You can say 'this is the way I play' and that you might get out or you might not, but with the experience and the responsibility shown in me, it is my duty to understand the match situation and what the team demands, putting that first and then planning my game around it."

His comments clearly underlined his leadership credentials and his desire to toil hard for CSK. And Samson also spoke on how CSK can revive their campaign with seven matches still left in teh group stage.

"As we all know, it's a very young team. But the amount of attitude and character we have shown, even after three losses in this tournament, is really commendable. We would like to just keep going with the momentum we have gained here. But we know that every game is important. Every team plays with great intensity, so we need to be ready and enjoy what's happening at the moment," Samson added.

Interestingly, it was Samson's second century for CSK. He had earlier smashed 115 not out against the Delhi Capitals at Chennai, helping CSK win their first match in IPL 2026.