Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson - (Source: AFP)
Clock is ticking for Suryakumar Yadav, and his India exit seems closer than ever. The right-handed batter’s bat has been silent for a long time. Even before heading to the T20 World Cup 2026, there were questions about SKY’s form.
Suryakumar Yadav had a poor T20 World Cup, which was followed by a disastrous IPL 2026. Now, the selectors are worried because they don’t want an out-of-form star to lead the side in the new T20 cycle set to begin later this month.
Selectors Looking Beyond Suryakumar Yadav For New T20 Cycle
In the latest events, a report from The Times of India suggest that Ajit Agarkar is looking beyond Suryakumar Yadav and has several options like Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson in mind to lead the troop for the next T20 cycle.
Although one thing that remains doubtful is whether Gautam Gambhir is on the same page with the chief selector or not. Notably, Gambhir is a huge admirer of Suryakumar Yadav, and there are chances that the Indian head coach might fight a case for the right-handed batter to continue as India captain. A leeway for leading India to the 3rd T20 World Cup title.
Shreyas Iyer Frontrunner Ahead Of Sanju Samson
A latest report from The Times of India stated that among the possible candidates to lead India, Shreyas Iyer is ahead of Sanju Samson. The report mentioned that the selectors are not too keen on Samson leading the side because of his inconsistency.
“Axar Patel was the vice-captain for the World Cup, Ishan Kishan has age, form and leadership credentials, and then there is Sanju Samson’s name doing the rounds. Samson has recency bias on his side, but his inconsistency has not pleased key stakeholders," the Times of India report cited a well-placed source as saying.
Also Read: Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Looks Ready For An India Debut?
For the unversed, Sanju Samson won the player of the tournament during T20 World Cup 2026 for a brilliant run with the bat. The right-handed batter scored 321 runs in 5 innings, averaging 80 with the bat, and a strike-rate of 200. He scored 3 consecutive fifties.
IPL 2026 To Play A Bigger Role In India's T20I Captaincy
The recently concluded IPL 2026 will play a big role in deciding India's next T20i captain. The reason why Shreyas Iyer is ahead of Sanju Samson in the pecking order is because of his consistency.
The PBKS captain scored 498 runs in 13 innings in IPL 2026. Further, he was among runs in IPPL 2025, where he amassed 604 runs, averaging 50.33. Sanju Samson, on the other hand, scored 477 runs in IPL 2026 despite scoring two centuries.
If we keep the two tons aside, then Samson had 5 single digit scores, again exposing his inconsistency.
Also Read: Not Dinesh Karthik, Rajat Patidar Gives Credit To 'This' Person For Batting Resurgence
