The next major cricket event, the T20 World Cup 2026, is just a few months away. Team India, which won the 2024 T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final, now faces the challenge of defending its title. The upcoming tournament will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting on February 7, 2026.
However, before the tournament begins, Team India’s captaincy has become a hot topic. Currently, Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) is leading the T20 side, but reports suggest that the team management is rethinking the captaincy.
Suryakumar Yadav Under Pressure
Although Suryakumar has been successful as a captain — winning bilateral series and even the Asia Cup — his batting form has completely collapsed.
In the last 16 matches, he has scored only 126 runs with an average of 10.50, and not a single fifty. Since the 2024 World Cup, his performance with the bat has been disappointing. Many believe that if he were not the captain, he might have already been dropped from the team.
The upcoming five-match T20 series in Australia is going to be crucial for him — not only as a captain but also as a batsman. If he fails again to perform with the bat, his captaincy could be in danger.
Could Shubman Gill Become Captain?
If Suryakumar continues to struggle, there’s speculation that Shubman Gill might take over as the next T20 captain. Gill already leads India in ODIs and Tests and has shown strong performances in all formats.
If SKY fails in Australia, the South Africa or New Zealand series could see Gill being tested as T20 captain.
Team India’s Possible Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Some names expected to feature in the team include:
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Nitish Rana.
The Big Question
The main issue is whether Suryakumar Yadav can regain his batting form before the World Cup. If not, the selectors might reduce his captaincy load or replace him entirely, allowing him to focus only on batting.
The Australia tour will therefore decide not only the future of India’s T20 leadership but also how strongly the team enters the World Cup 2026.
