Will Sanju Samson Lead Team India on the Tour of England and Ireland?
Will Sanju Samson Lead Team India? Currently, Team India is making its mark in white-ball cricket (limited-overs formats). Following Rohit Sharma, India—under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav—clinched a T20 title for the second consecutive time earlier this year.
Although Surya served as Team India's captain, several other batsmen played pivotal roles in securing this victory. Among them, Sanju Samson—making a comeback to the T20 squad after a long time—delivered a stellar batting performance.
Shreyas had emerged as frontrunner
Given Suryakumar Yadav's lackluster batting form, questions are now being raised not only about his captaincy but even about his very place in the squad. Consequently, Shreyas Iyer had emerged as the frontrunner for the role of the new captain; however, according to recent media reports, the T20 captaincy for Team India may now be entrusted to wicket-keeper-batsman Sanju Samson.
Team India set to tour England and Ireland
Currently, the IPL 2026 season is underway in India, with the final match scheduled for May 31. Following this, in the months of June and July, Team India is set to tour England and Ireland. Reports suggest that for this tour, Sanju Samson—rather than Shreyas Iyer—could be handed the captaincy of the T20 squad. Player performances during IPL 2026 are also expected to play a crucial role in determining the squad for this tour.
Sanju Samson has greater experience
So far in IPL 2026, Suryakumar Yadav has remained relatively quiet with the bat. Conversely, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson have delivered magnificent performances in the league. However, the factor tipping the scales in Sanju Samson's favor regarding the captaincy for the Ireland tour is his greater experience within the Team India setup compared to Shreyas Iyer.
This year has proven to be quite successful for Sanju Samson. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has been a consistent member of Team India. Throughout this year, he has repeatedly demonstrated his presence and prowess on the field. In terms of statistics, Sanju has amassed 1,399 runs across 62 matches. During this period, he has also scored three centuries and six half-centuries with his bat. As for captaincy, he has even captained his first IPL team, the Rajasthan Royals.