The talk around India’s next T20I captain has started building up around Sanju Samson, who has been in stunning form for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing IPL 2026 after starring in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy.
There have been reports that the Indian selectors have started thinking about the future and who could take the T20I team forward in the next cycle. There have been a couple of strong options available for the role, like Samson, Hardik Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer.
Key Points
- Ravi Shastri has strongly backed Sanju Samson as a future India T20I captain.
- Sanju Samson’s performances in the T20 World Cup 2026 and IPL 2026 have strengthened his captaincy case.
- The selectors are reportedly evaluating long-term leadership options beyond Suryakumar Yadav.
Ravi Shastri backs Sanju Samson to become India’s next T20I captain
But Sanju Samson got the strong backing of former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri. He feels the seasoned Indian wicketkeeper-batter has not just improved as a batter but has also shown enough leadership qualities to be seen as a serious option for the T20I captaincy.
Suryakumar Yadav had a memorable stint as captain, leading India to the Asia Cup 2025 and then the T20 World Cup 2026 title at home, apart from winning almost every bilateral series.
But now the attention is already turning towards the long-term picture, especially with the next T20 World Cup scheduled for 2028, and Shastri feels Samson perfectly fits in this demand.
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Ravi Shastri told Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review, "India, come the next (T20) World Cup (in 2028), might be looking for a new captain, depending on how Surya goes over the next couple of years. But Sanju Samson has put himself there for a leadership role because he's done that in the past for Rajasthan (Royals). And he's a certainty on the side, at the top of the order, extremely destructive. So, I see him; this is just the start of something more you'll see from Sanju over the next two or three years.”
Sanju Samson silences critics with stunning turnaround in T20Is
Earlier in his career, questions were often raised about the Kerala star’s consistency, but he completely changed his image with his aggressive and match-winning performances under pressure, including in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Samson has looked far more settled at the crease, playing with better control and smarter decision-making. And Shastri admitted that fact by saying, “I think he (Samson) has put a lid on all those question marks." There was always ability. People would, in fact, be disappointed because he wouldn't do justice to that ability.”
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Sanju Samson builds a strong case to become India's T20I captain
Samson plays with an attacking mindset at the top but has also shown maturity in building innings when needed, which is a key trait for any future captain in modern T20 cricket. And Samson already has enough captaincy experience, having led the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 67 IPL matches before switching to CSK and Kerala in 38 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games.
He signed off by saying, “But my word, this season, the way he's played after his performance in the T20 World Cup, where single-handedly he almost won India games, the big games, the quarter-finals (West Indies, Super 8), the semi-finals, and the final, and the way he stepped up and the maturity he's showing now in the IPL make him a clear case as far as I'm concerned for leadership in the future.”
