Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to remain Chennai Super Kings captain for IPL 2027, with Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad also staying at the franchise, according to reports ahead of the retention deadline on November 17.
SportsTak journalist Nitin K Srivastav reported on Tuesday that CSK are close to finalising their trade and retention list, and that there will be no change in leadership. “CSK are very close to finalising their trade and retention list, don’t see Noor Ahmad going anywhere. He should remain a key part of their plans for the upcoming season. Captaincy also may not see any change,” he wrote, a position echoed in a separate report that Gaikwad remains at the helm despite murmurs about Sanju Samson’s name as a possible alternative.
Gaikwad took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni ahead of the 2024 season, and the franchise has kept faith in the opener even though results have not matched the standards CSK set in their most successful years. The five-time champions have missed the playoffs in both seasons under his leadership, including a bottom-placed finish in 2025, and Gaikwad has won 14 of his 33 matches as captain. Gaikwad, who opens the batting, remains one of the franchise’s most reliable run-scorers, and keeping him in the leadership role also settles the question of who will lead the side into the new season.
Noor Ahmad, meanwhile, is expected to be retained after establishing himself as a key part of the attack. The left-arm wrist spinner was the side’s leading wicket-taker in the 2025 edition of the tournament, and his ability to bowl through the middle overs has made him one of the first names on the CSK team sheet.
The decisions come with the IPL’s trade window in full swing ahead of the mini-auction in Goa on December 16. CSK have already been one of the busiest franchises in the window, completing a four-player trade with Sunrisers Hyderabad that brought Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards to Chennai, with Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis moving the other way.
Retaining Gaikwad as captain and Noor as a frontline spinner gives CSK a settled core to build around as they finalise their list before the November 17 deadline. The franchise will announce its full retention and release list in the coming days, and the picture of their auction plans will become clearer once the other nine teams submit theirs.
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