Sanju Samson could pip Shreyas Iyer in replacing Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain

Following the T20 World Cup 2026 win, Team India will now have one eye on the next T20 World Cup cycle, with Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy under massive threat.

Amidst the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the developments regarding the Indian cricket team are continuing to come at a fast pace. Yesterday, it was reported that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has set its sight on Shreyas Iyer to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s next T20I captain. However, now, a fascinating situation has arrived, with Dainik Jagran reporting that the management is looking at Sanju Samson as a leading contender to succeed Suryakumar Yadav.

Well, one thing can be deemed certain now – that the time may be up for Suryakumar. He led brilliantly in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cycle and had great camaraderie with head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, his batting returns seem to have stopped. SKY failed to perform with the bat long ago, and that can be seen in the IPL 2026 as well. Meanwhile, Iyer and Samson have been phenomenal in the format in recent times.

However, the difference between Samson and Iyer is one of role clarity. Samson is already a first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in India’s T20I setup and is seen as someone around whom the next cycle can be built. Shreyas, despite his domestic and IPL consistency, is still outside the international T20 setup.

Why BCCI is seriously considering Sanju Samson

Samson’s stocks have risen after he saw countless hardships and failures. Even after ten years after his T20I debut, Samson was never a certain the starting XI. When he had a brief period of sensational kncoks, scoring three centuries in a span of five games, he was demoted. India tried to slot in Shubman Gill at Samson’s place. Then, when he returned, Samson’s form took a massive hit.

Samson was initially benched during the T20 World Cup 2026, with the management preferring Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top. The two lefties performed and Samson didn’t. But once India found their backs against the wall in a virtual knockout against the West Indies, Samson grabbed the opportunity.

Sanju Samson in T20 World Cup 2026

His unbeaten 97 against West Indies changed the tournament for India. Then came two more defining innings. His 89 against England in the semifinal and another 89 in the final against New Zealand simply became the reasons why India lifted the T20 World Cup crown. By the end of the tournament, Samson had become India’s highest run-scorer and eventually won the Player of the Tournament award.

That’s how Samson’s life changed. A month prior, he was on the bench, wondering where his career would end up. Now, he is in the reckoning to captain his nation.

The selectors are also believed to be impressed by his temperament. Samson has already captained Rajasthan Royals (RR) for several years in the IPL and is currently enjoying another strong season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Unlike previous years, the consistency at which Samson is scoring runs has improved dramatically. Earlier, the criticism around him was that he would produce one great knock and disappear for the next four games. That pattern has not been visible lately. The selectors are reportedly considering naming him captain as early as the upcoming T20I tours of Ireland and England after IPL 2026.

Suryakumar Yadav to be sacked?

The problem for Suryakumar is not captaincy. India actually did well under him. They became the first-ever team to defend the T20 World Cup silverware and maintained an aggressive approach under Gambhir. The issue is that India have increasingly looked like a side carrying their captain purely for leadership. That becomes dangerous in T20 cricket.

Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I record

Even in IPL 2026, Suryakumar has struggled big time. He seems to have lost a tad bit of reaction time. Bowlers have found it easier to bowl to him compared to other Mumbai Indians (MI) batters, while Suryakumar has constantly failed. He has 195 runs at an average of 19.50. But he has scored over 19.50 just four times in ten innings. His strike rate of 145.52 isn’t great either, especially considering when this year’s IPL has been the highest-scoring one, and the pitches are doctored by the BCCI to favour the batters.

There are also injury concerns. Reports have claimed that Suryakumar has been managing a wrist issue since IPL 2025 and regularly tapes it before batting. During the T20 World Cup too, he was often seen receiving treatment before entering net sessions.

Why Shreyas Iyer may still have to wait

Ironically, Shreyas Iyer probably has the strongest leadership CV among all contenders. He has already captained three different IPL franchises into finals and remains one of the best middle-order T20 batters in the country. His improvement against pace bowlers has been heartening to watch, while Iyer can also do the tough role of winning a match while batting two or even three down.

Shreyas Iyer’s T20 numbers

But there is one issue working against him. He has not been part of India’s T20I setup for a long time. In fact, he has not played a single T20 international since 2023. Two T20 World Cups have gone past since.

The selectors reportedly feel that before discussing captaincy, Iyer first needs to cement his place back in the XI. Competition for middle-order spots remains intense, and India’s management appears reluctant to hand leadership responsibilities to someone not guaranteed a place in the side. That’s a fair point but Iyer should be a natural choice for the number four spot. His performances have been tremendous since last year, easily outshining SKY.

However, the BCCI might think that Iyer needs to wait. That is where Samson currently holds the edge. He is already inside the setup, owns a defined role of being a first-choice keeper-bat and has delivered in ICC events recently.

For now, no final call has been taken. But the direction is becoming crystal clear. India are preparing for the next T20 cycle leading into the 2028 T20 World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics. And unless something changes dramatically over the next few months, Suryakumar Yadav may no longer be needed for those plans.