Sanju Samson’s has emerged as a contender to succeed Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain. The Kerala batter’s performance in the T20 World Cup earlier this year helped India become the first team to defend the title, and his great run continues in the ongoing IPL season too.
Former India head coach has backed Samson to lead India in the T20Is depending on where Suryakumar’s career heads to considering his dipping form since the 2026 T20 World Cup. His future may well be decided when selectors meet to pick the squad for Ireland T20Is after the IPL.
Samson has been in tremendous form in this IPL season too playing in his first season for Chennai Super Kings, where he has already slammed two centuries.
“India, come the next (T20) World Cup (in 2028), might be looking for a new captain, depending on how Surya goes over the next couple of years,” Shastri said on The ICC Review.
“But Sanju Samson has put himself there for a leadership role because he’s done that in the past for Rajasthan (Royals),” Shastri also said.
Shastri said the level of maturity that the 31-year-old has shown, he is destined for bigger things in the next two or three years.
“And he’s a certainty in the side, at the top of the order, extremely destructive. So I see him, this is just the start of something more you’ll see from Sanju over the next two or three years. I think he (Samson) has put a lid on all those question marks. There was always ability. People would, in fact, be disappointed because he wouldn’t do justice to that ability,” Shastri said.
“But my word this season, the way he’s played after his performance in the T20 World Cup where single-handedly he almost won India games, the big games, the quarter-finals (West Indies, Super 8), semi-finals, the final, and the way he stepped up and the maturity he’s showing now in the IPL, makes him a clear case as far as I’m concerned for leadership in the future.”
