Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is a strong candidate to lead India's T20I team in the future.

This endorsement comes as India looks toward leadership transitions in the shortest format of the game. Shastri's support suggests a shift in how the national team may evaluate captaincy candidates, prioritizing recent tournament dominance and tactical versatility over traditional seniority.

Shastri said Samson is a "clear case" for leadership [1]. He said the player has effectively positioned himself for a captaincy role through consistent high-level performances [2].

According to Shastri, Samson's credentials include three successive half-centuries during the T20 World Cup [3]. The batter was also named Player of the Tournament during the competition [3].

Beyond individual scoring, Shastri pointed to Samson's match-winning contributions and his leadership experience within the Indian Premier League (IPL) [3]. These factors, combined with his current form, make him a viable option as the team prepares for the 2028 World Cup [1].

Shastri said Sanju Samson has put himself there for a leadership role [2]. The former coach's comments highlight a growing consensus on Samson's ability to handle the pressure of international captaincy, a role that requires balancing aggressive batting with strategic wicketkeeping management.

While the current leadership era remains in place, Shastri's public backing signals that Samson has moved beyond being viewed merely as a specialist player. The focus now shifts to whether the national selectors will align with this vision for the 2028 cycle [1].

“Sanju Samson has emerged as a "clear case" for leadership.”

The endorsement by a former head coach suggests that Sanju Samson's trajectory is now being viewed through the lens of long-term leadership rather than just squad rotation. By linking Samson's T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament award to the 2028 World Cup cycle, Shastri is arguing that the current window of success provides a logical bridge to a captaincy transition following the Suryakumar Yadav era.