Suryakumar Yadav is unlikely to be retained as T20I captain.
Suryakumar Yadav became India’s fourth World Cup-winning captain earlier this year, joining the likes of Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, as the Men in Blue successfully defended their T20 World Cup title on home soil.
On a personal front, however, Suryakumar failed to live up to the expectations with bat in hand. He smashed 49-ball 84* in India’s campaign opener against the USA. However, his form faded again as the tournament progressed. The right-hander ended the event with 242 runs in 9 innings at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72.
Following the triumph, Suryakumar may have declared that winning a gold medal in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is the team's next target but the chances of him continuing as T20I captain are fairly slim, considering his extended lean patch.
Surya is having a difficult IPL 2026 season, scoring only 195 runs in 10 innings at a low average of 19.50 and a strike rate of 145.52 with just one half-century to his credit.
According to a report in Dainik Jagran, Sanju Samson is the leading contender to become India's next T20I captain, with a leadership change possible as early as the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
If Suryakumar retains captaincy for the assignments in Ireland and England, the report suggests Samson is likely to be named his deputy.
Sanju Samson was one of the chief architects of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. The wicketkeeper-batter wasn’t part of playing XI at the start of the competition but produced a match-winning 97* (50 balls) in the virtual quarterfinal against the West Indies, an attacking 89 (42 balls) against England in the semifinal, and another 89 (46 balls) in the final against New Zealand.
Samson finished the tournament as the third highest run-getter, amassing 321 runs from just five innings at an average of 80.25 and a remarkable strike rate of 199.37. He deservedly earned the Player-of-the-Tournament accolade.
Samson carried his prolific form into the IPL 2026, where he has amassed 402 runs in 10 matches for CSK at an average of 57.43 and strike rate of 167.50, including two centuries.
The same report also indicates that Shreyas Iyer is being considered as a potential successor to the T20I captaincy following strong performance as leader in the IPL, but one major criterion is working against the Punjab Kings skipper.
Selectors are reportedly hesitant to hand the captaincy to a player who hasn't appeared in an international T20 match in over two years. Iyer’s last T20I appearance was in December 2023. Moreover, they are impressed with Samson’s ability to stay calm in tense situations.
As per the report, the selection committee believes Shreyas Iyer must first earn his place back in the national T20I squad before being considered for a leadership role. If Surya's form continues to decline, Shreyas is seen as a strong candidate to fill the No. 4 spot in T20Is.