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Team India are in a bit of a muddle in the T20I format. Since winning the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue have seen success elude them in the ICC event.
India is on the back of disappointing showings in consecutive editions of the competition, with their outdated approach and inconsistent selection touted as the two biggest reasons behind their failures. There's no doubt that things need to change ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
India has already moved towards a younger side in the shortest format. Veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma haven't been seen in action for a while now, with Hardik Pandya leading the side in the latter's absence.
While Hardik has managed to produce promising results so far both in international cricket and in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he might not be the right man to be at the helm. The Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper has often tried to do too much on his own, and both his form and his fitness have question marks over them.
Rohit, meanwhile, has been out of the picture recently and has also been in terrible form for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. It might be in the national side's best interests to look elsewhere for a leader.
Here are three left-field choices who could captain Team India in T20I cricket instead of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav is arguably the first name on the teamsheet in T20I cricket. The dynamic batter has scarcely believable numbers in the format, with an average of 46.52 and a strike rate of 175.76 in 48 matches.
Suryakumar has taken his game to another level altogether over the last two years. In a team where several key batters have struggled to marry consistency with aggression, SKY has been a class apart and has become one of the senior members of the side.
Suryakumar has played under five captains in the shortest format for India but has never led the side himself. He has been at the helm of the Mumbai Indians (MI) on occasion lately and could be ready to take up more responsibility for the national side as well.
#2 Shubman Gill
A few months ago, Shubman Gill's place in the T20I side wasn't even fixed. But after some stellar showings in the format, followed by a prolific IPL season in which he finished with the Orange Cap, it's safe to say that the youngster will be at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.
Although Gill hasn't been seen as a leader at the top level, he is already in the reckoning. Eminent cricketing personalities like Sunil Gavaskar have already suggested that the 23-year-old is a future Indian skipper, and it's tough to argue with that.
On paper, Gill has everything going for him. He seems to read the game well and has a calm head on his shoulders. The young batter's game is airtight and he seems to have a long career ahead.
The chances of him leapfrogging the other contenders to become the captain are next to none, but Gill is a unique player who is simply special and needs to be treated that way by the selectors.
#1 Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson hasn't played more than six T20Is in any calendar year. Over the last two years, he has played only seven and has only one half-century to his name in the format overall.
However, Samson is not far off becoming a T20I regular. With Rishabh Pant currently recovering after failing to set the format on fire and Ishan Kishan struggling for consistency, the Men in Blue are short of quality wicket-keepers. They are also moving towards more dynamic batters, and the 28-year-old is as talented and aggressive as they come.
Samson's exploits as Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain are bound to work in his favor. He has led the franchise admirably over the last few seasons and has appeared to be a cut above the other IPL skippers.
If Samson can nail down his place in the side, he will be one of the frontrunners to take over from either Rohit or Hardik.
