Ravi Shastri Picks Future Captain for Indias T20I Side
India is preparing for a captaincy change in the T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav is already nearing his retirement, as the BCCI is exploring new options. Former Indian player and Head Coach, Ravi Shastri, has backed Sanju Samson to lead the Indian team.
Suryakumar Yadav has led the Indian team pretty well, positioning himself as one of the most successful captains in the history. He took over the captaincy when India were the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. And he continued the same momentum, helping India to win the T20 World Cup 2026.
While India has done pretty well under his captaincy, he is now closing in to his retirement. Suryakumar Yadav is already aged 35, as the BCCI has started to explore options on who could possibly lead the Indian team when he steps down as a captain. Amidst all this, former Indian Head Coach and World Cup winner, Ravi Shastri has made his pick as the future captain of the Indian cricket team in the shortest format.
For this, he has selected Sanju Samson, the player who dominated in the T20 World Cup 2026. He was able to lead India's batting lineup even in challenging games, and also ended up winning the Player of the Tournament award. Shastri has backed Samson to lead the Indian team, and he also holds experience with IPL captaincy for RR.
Our Take
Several players have emerged as the contenders to lead the Indian team when Suryakumar Yadav steps down. These players include Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Shreyas Iyer. While it will be challenging for Iyer to lead the team immediately after his comeback, the BCCI selectors could go with Ishan or Samson. Samson has shown promise with his captaincy for Rajasthan Royals, as he even led the team to the playoffs in several editions.