In a colossal leadership twist, the Kerala and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has emerged as one of the top candidates to become the T20I captain of the India National Cricket Team.
According to a latest report in Dainik Jagran, Sanju Samson has impressed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, which is led by Ajit Agarkar, with his performances in the T20I format.
Key Points
- Sanju Samson has emerged as a strong candidate to become India’s next T20I captain.
- Ajit Agarkar-led selectors are reportedly impressed with Samson’s recent T20I performances.
- Shreyas Iyer is reportedly behind Samson in the race because he hasn’t been part of India’s T20I setup regularly.
- Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form, injury concerns and age factor have reportedly put his captaincy under pressure.
Sanju Samson set to become India's T20I captain
Samson recently won the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup 2026 after missing the initial matches due to a lean patch and played a key role in India's triumph.
He was not India's first choice at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as the team management preferred Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan as the openers. However, after a tactical change made by Gautam Gambhir & Co., Sanju Samson was added back to the playing XI.
Samson made the most of the opportunities he got and smashed 97* runs in a must-win match against the West Indies National Cricket Team and followed it up with impressive 89s against the England National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team in the final.
As per the report, Sanju Samson might take over the India T20I leadership in the next series against Ireland and England after the Indian Premier League 2026.
If that doesn't happen, current skipper Suryakumar Yadav might be given one last chance to lead India, and his form would be closely monitored, with Sanju Samson being named his deputy.
Why Ajit Agarkar dumped Shreyas Iyer?
Earlier, reports suggested that Shreyas Iyer is the frontrunner to replace Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I skipper, but there is one major thing that goes completely against him - not being part of the T20 Internationals setup for a long time.
The BCCI selection committee doesn't like the fact that Iyer has not been part of the T20I setup for a long time, and on the other hand, they have Sanju Samson, who has been thriving in the format.
Firstly, Ajit Agarkar & Co. want Iyer to earn a place in the T20I side; only then will they think about handing him over the captaincy of the Indian T20I Team.
Iyer has been in sensational form with the bat in the last two IPL seasons, and his leadership qualities are there for everyone to see.
He made a struggling Punjab Kings one of the most dominant forces in the Indian Premier League and guided them to the final of IPL 2025, which they eventually lost.
Before that, he steered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL 2024 triumph, and he was also at the helm when Delhi Capitals made it to the final of the Indian Premier League 2020.
Why is Suryakumar Yadav being sacked?
There are several reasons behind the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee looking to sack the T20 World Cup 2026 winning captain, Suryakumar.
First and most important one is his own form. The batter has been struggling for runs for quite some time now, especially since the captain of the Indian T20I team. Although he guided India to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph in his last assignment and is regarded as a great team manager, runs have not been coming from his bat.
In 52 matches as T20I captain, he scored just 1232 runs at an average of 28.65 and a strike rate of 154.96.
The second reason behind his possible sacking is the age factor; he is 35 and is not getting younger. Also, another reason behind BCCI looking to move away from Suryakumar Yadav is his wrist injury. Notably, the batter has been troubled by his wrist issues for a very long time, and the BCCI has taken note of it.
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