Suryakumar Yadav's tenure as India's T20 captain is about to end, with the BCCI set to replace the veteran batter with a younger player. As things stand, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson are the two frontrunners, reports said.
The change of guard in the Indian T20 set-up may happen in the next series against Ireland and England, and Samson, who was the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament, has emerged as a serious contender.
A few months back, 31-year-old Iyer was rumoured to be a clear favourite, given his leadership skills were on full display in consecutive Indian Premier League seasons. But now, there is a genuine chance that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter will be chosen as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy for the series in Europe ahead of a takeover, a report said. Samson's capability to keep a calm head, even when things are not working out for the team, has not gone unnoticed by the selection committee, a report said.
Sanju Samson or Shreyas Iyer
Sanju Samson, also 31, is in stellar form—managing to resume his good work from the World Cup in the IPL. After a much-anticipated transfer to CSK from the Rajasthan Royals, Samson then carried his form into the IPL 2026 season; the right-hander has already managed two centuries and a fifty. His tally stands at 402 runs from 10 games at an average of 57.43. Having played 62 matches in the national colours, the former Rajasthan Royals skipper has scored 1,399 runs, including three centuries and six half-centuries.
As per a Hindi daily, the BCCI is fully convinced of Iyer's capability to play T20 cricket, but the fact that Sanju has been part of the national team in recent times means he is better positioned for the captaincy. Shreyas Iyer, who is leading the Punjab Kings in the IPL, last played a T20I in December 2023. Iyer should focus on earning his place back, the board reportedly believes.
Some reports said that Shreyas Iyer could re-enter the national team set-up as the replacement for SKY—unless the captain manages to find form. The World Cup-winning skipper didn't have a great World Cup and has not managed to reinvent himself in the IPL.
