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Former head coach Ravi Shastri is throwing his support behind Sanju Samson, the current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter, as a potential candidate for India’s T20I captaincy ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup. 

Shastri sees Samson as the ideal mix of a modern T20 batter and a leader with the qualities needed to thrive at the highest level, something he’s already demonstrated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Rajasthan Royals. However, the future of this captaincy really hinges on Suryakumar Yadav's career trajectory. If India finds itself in need of a new captain down the line, Shastri is placing his bets on Samson to step up. 

“India, 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. But Sanju Samson has put himself there for a leadership role because he's done that in the past for Rajasthan (Royals).  And he's 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 you'll see from Sanju over the next two or three years,” Ravi Shastri said on The ICC Review.

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Once criticized for his inconsistency, Samson has transformed into a key player for India in the T20 format. Shastri is confident those earlier struggles are behind him. The CSK batter recently shone in the T20 World Cup, racking up 321 runs at an impressive strike rate of 199.37. Plus, he’s off to a fantastic start in his debut season with Chennai, already notching two centuries in the 2026 IPL season. 

The conversation around India’s T20 captaincy is buzzing in the media, with current Punjab Kings and former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer also being mentioned as a possible successor in the near future.  India’s first T20I series after the IPL will feature two matches against Ireland, followed by a five-match series in England starting in July. 

With his standout performances for Chennai Super Kings and his growing leadership skills, Sanju Samson is definitely a strong contender for the future T20I captaincy. With Ravi Shastri backing him, Samson’s consistency, aggressive batting style, and IPL experience could make him a pivotal player in India’s journey toward the 2028 T20 World Cup.