If reports are to be believed, not long after leading India to their third T20 World Cup crown in front of the home crowd, Suryakumar Yadav has been removed
as the T20 captain of the Indian team. He was one of the pioneers of India’s changed approach when it comes to batting in T20Is. But, due to batting struggles for a prolonged period of time, the selectors have finally decided to move on from the enigmatic batter from Mumbai.
Now the important question comes up, and that is who replaces him at the throne? Indian cricket has no shortage of talent, and with a team full of T20 superstars, and World champions, someone has to step-up and take on the responsibility of leading the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. There are few candidates who seem ready to take on the challenge and could have the backing of the selectors to do the job.
3 players who can replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain:
3. Axar Patel
Axar Patelis one of the most experienced players in the Indian T20 team currently. The left-hander was the vice captain of India’s World Cup winning team, and remains a tempting option to replace Suryakumar Yadav. He is currently the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL and has done a decent job. Being a regular member of the team for many years now, Axar can gel well with the management if appointed as a captain in T20Is.
2. Sanju Samson
Two experienced players of the side, Sanju Samson andHardik Pandya remain strong candidates to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20 captain. Sanju Samson is a proven candidate when it comes to captaincy in T20 cricket, with him leading Rajasthan Royals (RR) for several seasons in IPL. His heroics in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 were historic and remain a solid option with immense experience in the shortest format.
Hardik Pandya, too, remains a good option to replace his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20 captain. He is a proven captain, leading Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden IPL title in 2022. The only concern with him is workload management, as he is prone to injuries, which has also kept him away from Test cricket for the last five years.
1. Shreyas Iyer
The most obvious name of the lot is current Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer. He has already proved himself as a captain in the shortest format, leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL championship in 2024. Then in IPL 2025, took PBKS to their first final since 2014, stamping his authority as captain once again.
The right-hander, currently 31, has plenty more years of international cricket left in him. Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and he have worked together before at KKR, and the duo was a success story. So, the selectors and the management can back him to take over the captaincy duties.
