Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson have emerged as leading contenders to take over India’s T20I captaincy, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) likely to move on from incumbent skipper Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the upcoming tours of Ireland and England.

With the selection committee and team management understood to be on the same page regarding Suryakumar’s removal from the leadership role, and potentially from the squad as well owing to an extended slump in form, the senior BCCI officials are expected to discuss the team’s future direction at a meeting on Thursday.

Suryakumar’s struggles with the bat have been a concern for some time. His returns in the 2026 IPL only deepened those worries. Although he ended the campaign with a half-century against Rajasthan Royals, the Mumbai Indians batter managed just 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76.

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Given that he captained India to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year, a section within the Board believed he deserved another opportunity to lead the side in England. However, sources have confirmed to  Sportstar that the selectors, BCCI officials and team management, in consultation with head coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided it is time to look ahead and invest in a new leader for the format.

The first indication of that shift came when Suryakumar was omitted from India’s long list for the upcoming Asian Games.

While the Board has not yet finalised a successor, sources indicate that Iyer and Samson are the front-runners for the role. Vice-captain Axar Patel, however, could also be discussed as a possible option.

Shreyas strengthened his credentials by leading Punjab Kings to the IPL final last season. However, despite a flying start to the 2026 campaign, PBKS failed to qualify for the playoffs this year. Samson, meanwhile, remains highly regarded within the system for his leadership credentials and experience at the franchise level.

Sources also indicated that Tilak Varma is being groomed for a leadership role in the future, which was one of the reasons behind his appointment as India A captain for the tri-series in Sri Lanka. However, with limited captaincy experience at the senior level, the Board is keen not to fast-track his elevation and prefers to allow him more time to develop as a leader before considering him for a bigger role.

Published on Jun 03, 2026