Sanju Samson likely to appoint in Team India leadership role: Report

Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is considering reshuffling the leadership roles for Team India’s T20I set-up. Suryakumar Yadav is still the captain of the team, but it can be changed soon, as there are a lot of reports circulating around social media platforms regarding the captaincy role. 

The reports are contrasting. Some claims indicate in favor of Sanju Samson, while some claim that Yadav should continue as the captain of India’s T20I team. Due to the long-standing poor form of Suryakumar Yadav, even after winning the T20 World Cup 2026, there are a lot of doubts over the current skipper of the team.

Multiple players are in the race to replace captain Suryakumar Yadav

In the race to become the next leader of the national cricket team, there are multiple nominees. Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson are now the most discussed names among cricket fans. Hardik Pandya can also be in contention; however, his name has not been mentioned so far.

Recently, NDTV reported that Shreyas Iyer is being looked at as India's next T20I captain, while a further report claims that Sanju Samson is leading the race to replace Suryakumar Yadav for the captaincy role.

“Currently, Shreyas Iyer is the most talked about candidate for the new T20I captain, but reliable sources suggest wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson could be named captain in Surya's place,” the Dainik Jagran report suggested.

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Sanju Samson vs Shreyas Iyer: Who will be the captain and why?

It is further claimed that while the selectors will sit to select the squads for the tour of England and Ireland in June-July, IPL 2026 performances can help the selectors shape the team. So far, Suryakumar Yadav’s performance with the Mumbai Indians is below average, while Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson have been performing well for the Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings, respectively. 

Under the regime of head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the team management has developed the tendency to support the young players. Age can also be a factor if the selectors want to appoint a new leader for the team.

Additionally, the experience of individuals will also be scrutinized before taking the final call. Shreyas Iyer’s experience and achievements as a captain in the Indian Premier League are more decorated than Samson’s. But, over Iyer, Samson is a regular player in the T20I team. 

“Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer have both performed quite well. However, according to sources, Sanju's biggest advantage is that he has been a part of the Indian T20 team for a long time,” the media report further added.