Former India coach Ravi Shastri has named Sanju Samson as a potential future T20I captain, citing his IPL leadership experience and stellar performances, including three successive half-centuries in the T20 World Cup and being named Player of the Tournament.
New Delhi:
Former India coach Ravi Shastri has identified Sanju Samson as a potential future captain for India’s T20I team. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the Men in Blue won the T20 World Cup 2026, but his own form is a matter of huge concern. The Mumbai batter struggled to justify his spot in the global tournament and the pattern continued in the IPL, where he scored just 195 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 144.44.
With that, Suryakumar’s spot in the Indian team has been put under the scanner. Shastri knows that and added that the captaincy change eventually depends on how Suryakumar performs in the coming times. However, he believes that Samson is ready to take over, especially as he has the leadership qualities and also has experience in the IPL and even in domestic cricket.
“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 in 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). 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,” he added.
Shastri explains reason behind his choice
Notably, Samson has captained Rajasthan Royals in the IPL for five seasons, including 2022, when the team finished as runners-up. His experience in leading the side has been cited as evidence of his readiness for future leadership roles. On the international stage, the keeper-batter has been in remarkable form, scoring three consecutive half-centuries during India’s T20 World Cup triumph. He was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament.
“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. 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, 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,” Shastri added.
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