The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to hold a meeting of the Apex Committee on Thursday for the announcement of a new T20 International skipper for the senior men’s team, as per media reports. With Suryakumar Yadav almost certain to lose his leadership duties as well as his place in the T20 setup, Shreyas Iyer is the frontrunner to take over the captaincy duties in the shortest format.
With Ireland, England tours and Asian Games in sight, it has been learned, as per ANI’s BCCI sources, that the selectors are now looking at a long-term solution for T20 captaincy. Suryakumar Yadav may have led India to historic T20 WC glory in 2026, by successfully defending the crown, but he scored only 242 runs in the tournament in 9 games and flopped in IPL 2026.
Shreyas Iyer in Champions Trophy (Credits: Reuters)
It is not just Shreyas who is in contention for his experience and form with the bat. Ishan Kishan’s explosive run with the bat and Tilak Varma’s versatility have included them in the three-way race for the leadership charge.
Why Shreyas Iyer to replace Surya?
Shreyas Iyer last played an international T20I match against Australia at Bengaluru in December 2023. However, he got benched due to a disciplinary dispute with BCCI over domestic cricket and was eventually ignored. What followed was immense work on his short-ball tackle and a decorated season of domestic cricket from captain Shreyas Iyer.
He first won the Ranji Trophy with Mumbai, led KKR to the IPL title in 2024, and even claimed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as Mumbai captain. Moreover, he also won the Irani Cup. He made his white-ball comeback with the Champions Trophy but could not break into the T20 setup despite leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final.
Now, he will make his comeback to the national team on the back of a sensational run for Punjab Kings in the recently concluded IPL 2026, where he made 498 runs. However, he could not sort out the bowling woes for his side that ultimately resulted in Punjab’s elimination.
Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma also in a 3-way race for captaincy
Just like Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan grinded his way to India’s T20 setup after losing a central cricket and place in the squad. Ishan Kishan’s heroics as Jharkhand captain in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 could not be ignored. Later, he blasted New Zealand in the home T20 series, scoring 215 runs in just four games.
He continued his blistering form in the T20 World Cup 2026 with his blistering knocks, accelerating Team India’s score in the middle overs. Even in the IPL, while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, whenever Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head departed early in the powerplay, he was the one to form partnerships and charge at the same time to keep his team alive in the game.
Middle-order batter Tilak Varma is also in the contention for the role of leadership due to his versatility and batting consistency since the Asia Cup last year. He did well on the South Africa tour of India, scoring a quickfire 186 runs in four games and adding crucial runs to India’s total with cameos in the T20 World Cup. Even this year in IPL, he slammed a century and two half-centuries despite having a poor run with the bat.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also in contention to be part of India’s T20 team
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s recent success with the bat at the top of the order is expected to compel the selectors to pick him in India’s T20 set-up. The 15-year-old swept the post-tournament awards in IPL 2026 after finishing the season with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.20.
Credits: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi/Instagram
With the top-order already racked with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, it is expected that the left-handed opener will get a game or two in the seven T20Is that India are scheduled to play in Ireland and England, starting June 26.
