Sanju Samson delivered three match-winning performances in successive games to help defend the T20 World Cup title at home. He deservedly earned the Player-of-the-Tournament accolade after finishing as the third highest run-getter, with 321 runs from just five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37.

Following the triumph, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav may have declared that an Olympic gold medal is now the team's next target but the chances of him continuing as captain for much longer are slim.

Cricket is set to return to the Olympics at the LA 2028 Games after 128 years, featuring men's and women's T20 tournaments. However, Surya would turn 37 by then. With the next T20 World Cup also scheduled the same year in Australia, the prospects of Mumbai batter leading the Indian team are unlikely.

Having produced clutch knocks in India’s recent triumphant campaign, Samson was backed by former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif to take over the leadership rein from Suryakumar Yadav.

“Tough to say right now as to who would become the next captain, but Samson could well be the one. I mean, why not? A Captain must be someone who has seen the world. Implementing bowling changes, playing the perfect XI, and backing players out of form, as with Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy. A captain would know that these things happen. They themselves have gone through this. They understand these little things,” Kaif told Ravish Bisht in a video.

“So, I feel, Samson sure can be a candidate. However, if Surya keeps playing well they he can hold on to the position longer. If you’re fit, you can play till 38-39. There’s no problem. And in the shorter format, you need more experience. Someone who has captained remains forever valuable. If Surya decides to step down, Sanju can fill that position. He has captained a lot in the IPL and took the Rajasthan Royals to the final (2022). He is only 31. Might be the next Indian captain,” he added.

Notably, Suryakumar endured an extended lean patch last year, failing to score a half-century in T20Is. As a result, questions were also raised over his place in the side.

Surya returned to form just before the T20 World Cup, hitting three half-centuries in four matches against New Zealand and starting India’s campaign with a blistering 82 against the USA. However, his form faded again as the tournament progressed. He ended the event with 242 runs in 9 innings at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72.

The biggest challenge for Suryakumar Yadav going forward in his T20I career is to keep scoring runs on a consistent basis.