Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made a compelling case for Sanju Samson to take the reins of India's T20I side, calling the wicketkeeper-batter a "clear case" for future leadership after a remarkable 12-month rise. Shastri believes Samson's stunning performances—both in the ICC T20 World Cup and the IPL—make him an ideal candidate to lead the national team, potentially before the 2028 World Cup.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri noted that India may need to plan for a leadership transition in the coming years, with current captain Suryakumar Yadav set to turn 37 by the next T20 World Cup. "India, come the next World Cup in 2028, might be looking for a new captain," Shastri said, highlighting the need for a long-term successor.

Samson's credentials are hard to ignore. As a former captain of Rajasthan Royals, he led the franchise for five IPL seasons, guiding them to the final in 2022. But it's his transformation into a match-winner on the international stage that has truly impressed Shastri. "My word, this season—the way he's played after his T20 World Cup performances where he single-handedly won India big games, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final—and the maturity he's showing now in the IPL, makes him a clear case for leadership," Shastri said.

Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament in India's victorious T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, has become a certainty at the top of the order. "He's extremely destructive, and this is just the start of something more you'll see from him over the next two or three years," Shastri added, making it clear that Samson's time as India's T20I captain could be just around the corner.