Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that although it doesn’t make sense to snub Suryakumar Yadav as T20I captain, his first choice as his successor would be ace India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, adding that despite his fitness issues, T20Is are the format where the latter has been able to commit himself the most.
Team India could be on the verge of a significant captaincy transition, with reports suggesting that Suryakumar‘s underwhelming IPL 2026 campaign, along with concerns surrounding his age and fitness, may bring an end to what has otherwise been a successful stint as T20I skipper.
As per recent reports, Shreyas Iyer has emerged as the frontrunner to take over as India’s next T20I skipper, while Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma are among
the leading contenders for the vice-captaincy role.
Manjrekar believes Bumrah is being overlooked in the leadership conversation due to workload management and fitness concerns. He argued that Shubman Gill should be in contention as well, pointing out that the next T20 World Cup will be held in Australia, where Gill’s experience and captaincy credentials could prove valuable.
“It doesn’t make sense to Suryakumar Yadav, because you are talking about the T20 World Cup, quite the distance away now. Jasprit Bumrah is my first choice. Let us not dwell too much on his fitness and injuries, because this is the T20 format, where he can commit himself more,” Manjrekar said while speaking on his Instagram handle.
“So, I believe in T20Is, he will be happy to captain, plus Mumbai Indians might be looking at him as the future leader. The other person who has put himself in contention now is Shubman Gill,” Manjrekar said.
“We have to remember one thing, the next T20 World Cup isn’t going to be in India and a lot of T20Is are going to be played outside India. That’s where people like Shubman Gill, with certain batting fundamentals, become an important player in T20Is,” Manjrekar added.
