Are Gambhir and selectors on the same page over India’s new T20I captain choice?

India coach Gautam Gambhir doesn’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to their choice of who should replace Suryakumar Yadav as the next T20I captain, according to a report by PTI. India Today revealed that The Indian T20I team will have a new captain in Shreyas Iyer as BCCI are ready to move on from Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar, who led India to victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup, has been woefully out of form and struggled to score during this year’s IPL. This meant that the selection committee decided to drop him and pick Shreyas as the new captain for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England.

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma have also been mentioned as dark horses in the tussle for the role as the BCCI wants a new captain to be at the helm for the next two T20 World Cups.

While Gambhir and the selectors are on the same page over Suryakumar’s removal as captain, as far as the election is concerned, they seem to have differences.

GAMBHIR’S CLEAR CHOICE

PTI reports that Gambhir’s preferred choice is Sanju Samson, who had an impressive knock-out campaign in the T20 World Cup. However, the selectors are not convinced whether Samson or Ishan Kishan can perform consistently for a longer period of time.

Gambhir is also said to be not completely sold on Shreyas Iyer’s candidature. The two worked together during Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL-winning campaign in 2024, with Shreyas leading the side and Gambhir serving as a mentor.

However, Shreyas’ comments that season about not getting enough credit are believed to have raised a few eyebrows and the remarks have reportedly remained a matter of debate.

The decision on the new T20I captain is expected to be announced before the 2 T20Is against Ireland on June 26.

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Published on:

04 Jun 2026 09:21 IST