India’s Next T20I Captain? Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma in Contention

With India winning the T20 World Cup 2026, attention has now shifted to the future of the team’s T20I setup, especially whether Suryakumar Yadav will continue as captain, as a few changes could soon be on the cards. As it turns out, as per a report in PTI, the decision on Surya’s captaincy could be made by head coach Gautam Gambhir. That is also due to the fact, since the selection committee is not fully convinced that the star could make the T20I team, purely as a batter, according to BCCI source.

And his struggles are quite evident. For Starters, in IPL 2026, in 12 matches, he has only made 210 runs at an average of 17, and strike rate is at 148. His international numbers are even more concerning. His last ton came in the year 2023 the following year, he scored 429 runs in 18 matches, at an average of 26. In 2025, he managed 218 runs in 21 matches, at an average of 13. Though this year has been relatively good, consistency still remains a concern. It seems that the BCCI selection panel is ready to move on, but leave it to the coach-captain equation. 

“Initially the selectors thought that IPL would help Suryakumar regain form like last edition when he crossed 700 runs. But strangely there hasn’t been any technical course correction in his game.

“Even the rookiest of pacers are just bowling straight hard lengths and he has no answer. Selectors don’t see him playing the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. It is as simple as that,” the source continued. “If someone can’t earn his place as a batter, how can he be a leader? Hence it is difficult to retain him but Ajit (Agarkar) and Gautam need to be on same page.”

Surya’s T20I captaincy under doubt despite World Cup win

However, the final call will rest with Gautam Gambhir, who shares a strong rapport with Suryakumar Yadav. If Gambhir wants Surya to continue as captain, he is likely to retain the role. At the same time, there remains plenty of speculation over who could take over if a change is made, with Shreyas Iyer emerging as a strong contender for the captaincy.

Iyer and mentor Gambhir had brought KKR their third IPL title in 2024. Another option could be Shubman Gill, who was left of the T20 team, after briefly getting the vice-captaincy. Then there is Tilak Varma too, whose name keeps popping up for MI captaincy too; happened when Hardik Pandya and Surya weren’t available for selection in a few games for Mumbai. 

“Don’t rule out Tilak if Surya is sacked. There’s a reason that Tilak has been made captain for tri-nation A series where selectors would get to see his leadership skills,” the source added.