Although Sanju Samson’s recent antics, especially in the 2026 T20 World Cup, had made him a serious contender but his past inconsistency is what the management is fearful about. Regardless of who gets appointed eventually, it is certain that Samson will not make the cut
Published: June 3, 2026, 9:35 PM IST
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Chennai Super Kings’ Sanju Samson during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, May 18, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
Indian wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, who had a wonderful outing in India’s successful ICC T20 World Cup defense earlier this year, will not be considered as a captaincy option of the T20I side if current captain Suryakumar Yadav gets removed from the leadership role. The team management is said to be keen on replacing Surya who is going through a turbulent form at the moment.
Subsequently, a lot of names are being thrown into the ring to replace Suryakumar Yadav but nothing is concrete as of yet. It is being reported that Shreyas Iyer is the most likeliest option to replace Surya as India’s next T20I captain. Iyer has impressed with his captaincy skills over the last 4 Indian Premier League editions.
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Shreyas Iyer has guided three different teams – Delhi Capitals (2020), Kolkata Knight Riders (2024) and Punjab Kings (2025) into the final but won the cash-rich tournament only once with the KKR. Other than him, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan are also among the candidates.
Sanju Samson’s inconsistency a key reason why he won’t be appointed as captain
According to reports, the Indian team management has decided against appointing Sanju Samson as the next T20I captain, largely due to his inconsistency in the format. Samson had made his debut way back in 2015 and it wasn’t until 2026 that he became a regular feature in the side.
Although Sanju Samson’s recent antics, especially in the 2026 T20 World Cup, had made him a serious contender but his past inconsistency is what the management is fearful about. Regardless of who gets appointed eventually, it is certain that Samson will not make the cut.
“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.” – a trusted source told TOI.
Sanju Samson’s IPL 2026 – as it went
Sanju Samson had a fairly underwhelming debut IPL season with the Chennai Super Kings. He was traded by the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja before the mini-auction last year.
Having replaced former captain MS Dhoni from the wicket-keeping role, Samson scored just 477 runs in 14 outings at a strike rate of 165 and a best of 115 not-out. It will be interesting to see if Sanju gets picked for India’s upcoming T20I series’ in Ireland and England later this month.
