Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has put his weight behind Sanju Samson to lead India in the T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav recently led India to T20 World Cup glory in home conditions but with the skipper going through a lean phase of form, there are doubts over his future.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson has leadership experience under his belt and led his former franchise Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Samson has been in fine form in the ongoing IPL 2026, scoring 430 runs in 11 matches for CSK at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 169.29.

Ravi Shastri said on ICC Review, “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. 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.”

Meanwhile, Samson scored 321 runs in five matches of the T20 World Cup and played a key role in taking India to glory. Shastri said Samson has put all the question marks over his ability to perform consistently to bed.

“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,” said Shastri (via the aforementioned source).

“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 (West Indies, Super 8), 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.”

CSK will next take on LSG at Lucknow on Friday.