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Ravi Shastri supports Sanju Samson as a future T20I captain for India, citing his impressive performance and leadership potential. Samson, named Player of the Tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, is seen as a key figure for the team's future leadership transition.
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NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson as a future captain of Indiaâs T20I side, saying the wicketkeeper-batter has emerged as a âclear caseâ for leadership after his stunning rise over the past year.
Samson, who was one of Indiaâs standout performers in their victorious ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign and was named Player of the Tournament, has now been tipped by Shastri as a serious contender to take charge of the national side in the shortest format within the next two to three years.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri said India may have to plan for a leadership transition before the next T20 World Cup in 2028, with current skipper Suryakumar Yadav set to be 37 by then.
âIndia, 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,â Shastri said.
The former India all-rounder believes Samson has already strengthened his case because of his prior leadership experience with Rajasthan Royals and his growing stature in Indiaâs batting line-up.
âBut Sanju Samson has put himself there for a leadership role because heâs done that in the past for Rajasthan,â Shastri said. âAnd heâs 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 youâll see from Sanju over the next two or three years.â
Samson led Rajasthan Royals for five IPL seasons and guided them to the final in 2022, enhancing his credentials as a captain. But it is his recent transformation as a match-winner on the international stage that has convinced Shastri.
âBut my word this season, the way heâs played after his performance in the T20 World Cup where single-handedly he almost won India games â the big games, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, the final â and the way he stepped up and the maturity heâs showing now in the IPL, makes him a clear case as far as Iâm concerned for leadership in the future,â he said.
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Shastri also said 31-year-old Samson has finally silenced long-standing doubts around his consistency.
âI think he has put a lid on all those question marks. There was always ability. People would, in fact, be disappointed because he wouldnât do justice to that ability,â Shastri added.
Ravi Shastri believes Sanju Samson's impressive rise and standout performances, particularly as Player of the Tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, make him a strong candidate for leadership.
The next T20 World Cup is scheduled for 2028, and India may need to find a new captain by then, as current skipper Suryakumar Yadav will be 37 years old.
Sanju Samson was a standout performer in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where he was named Player of the Tournament, highlighting his significant contributions to the team's success.

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