It seems that the clock is ticking for Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir after India’s embarrassing performance in the recently concluded Ireland tour and the ongoing tour against England.
The ‘Men in Blue’ endured a disappointing 2-0 series defeat against Ireland before struggling again in the ongoing five-match T20I series against England, where they have lost three of the first four matches.
While there has been no official confirmation regarding Shreyas Iyer’s future as captain, his leadership is also expected to come under scrutiny if India’s struggles continue.
If the selectors decide to make a change to the leadership group, there are a few players with strong captaincy records in domestic cricket and the IPL.
Here are three players who could be considered India’s next T20I captain in place of Shreyas Iyer.
Players Who Could Be India's Next T20I Captain In Place Of Shreyas Iyer
Ishan Kishan
The first name on the list to replace Shreyas Iyer as India T20I captain is Ishan Kishan. The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter has gained valuable captaincy experience in domestic cricket.
During the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ishan Kishan guided Jharkhand to their maiden title. He also led from the front with the bat, scoring 517 runs at a strike rate close to 200.
Ishan's leadership skills were also tested in IPL 2026. When Pat Cummins missed a few matches due to a back injury, Sunrisers Hyderabad handed the captaincy to Kishan. He led the side in seven matches, winning four and losing three.
He also has an excellent captaincy record for Jharkhand across formats. In first-class cricket, he has remained unbeaten as captain with six wins and seven draws in 13 matches. Overall, he has captained Jharkhand in 29 matches, winning 23 (win percentage of 79.31).
Criterion
Data
Matches
29
Wins
23
Loss
5
Tied
1
Win %
79.31
(Ishan Kishan's Jharkhand captaincy numbers)
Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar is another player who could enter the captaincy discussion to replace Shreyas Iyer. While he is currently not part of India’s T20I setup, a similar situation was seen with Shreyas Iyer, who returned to the side as captain.
If India wants to bring Patidar into the team, they may have to make changes in the middle order. With India’s batting unit struggling and vice-captain Tilak Varma going through a lean patch, Patidar could become an option.
Tilak Varma, so far in T20I, has played 15 matches and made 332 runs at an average of 27.67 and a strike rate of 136.07. In the recent India tour of Ireland 2026, the star player managed just 74 runs in 2 innings, with an average of 37. In the ongoing India tour of England 2026, he has just managed 51 runs in 4 innings at a strike-rate of 118.60.
Patidar, meanwhile, has continued his impressive rise in the IPL. In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made the decision to appoint him as captain. The move proved successful as he led the franchise to its maiden IPL title. He followed it up with another successful campaign in IPL 2026, leading RCB to a second title.
His captaincy numbers are equally impressive. Patidar captained RCB in 28 matches (IPL 2025 and 2026), winning 20 and losing only 8. His consistent leadership and batting performances make him a serious option if the selectors are willing to reshape the batting order.
Format
Matches
Wins
Losses
Win %
Loss %
IPL
28
20
8
71.42
28.57
(Rajat Patidar's Captaincy Stats In IPL)
Hardik Pandya
Criterion
Data
Matches
16
Wins
10
Loss
5
Tied
1
Win %
62.5
Loss %
31.25
(Hardik Pandya - India's T20I captaincy numbers)
Hardik Pandya could return to the captaincy race in T20Is once he regains full fitness. The all-rounder last played in the shortest format during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand.
After the tournament, he featured in the IPL 2026 but suffered a quadriceps injury and a recurring back spasm. The injuries ruled him out of the white-ball tours of Afghanistan and England.
Pandya is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. If he recovers fully and returns to the Indian team, he could once again become a leading candidate for the T20I captaincy.
His record as India’s T20I captain stands - 16 T20Is, winning 10 matches and losing five, giving him a win percentage of 62.5. In addition to it, Hardik has also led the Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title win in IPL 2022 and a runners-up spot in IPL 2023.
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Shreyas Iyer (Source: AFP).jpg?type=mq "Gautam Gambhir's Report Card")
