New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Former India cricketer and national selector Devang Gandhi believes Shreyas Iyer is a frontrunner to succeed Suryakumar Yadav as the next men’s T20I captain, saying his IPL-winning pedigree with Kolkata Knight Riders and his more recent success in leading Punjab Kings makes him the most deserving candidate at the moment.

The biggest call before the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee when they meet in Mumbai on Saturday to select India’s squad for the T20Is against Ireland and England is whether to persist with Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain.

Suryakumar, who was made India’s T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired post the 2024 T20 World Cup win, scripted history by leading India to a successful defence of the title at home this year.

But his own batting has remained under the scanner – in IPL 2026, Suryakumar amassed only 270 runs in 13 innings at 20.76, striking at 147.54. Even in the World Cup, Suryakumar managed to make 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, with his lone standout being an unbeaten 84 against the USA in Mumbai that fetched him the Player‑of‑the‑Match award.

With Suryakumar turning 36 in September, the selectors now face a huge choice – retain him as the captain purely for his experience or look towards a new leader for the next two-year cycle – especially with India also scheduled to play in the Los Angeles Olympics and enter the 2028 T20 World Cup as defending champions.

“I think the Olympics are two years hence. Are the selectors looking at him for two years hence? So, that’s the big question. See, the competition is pretty stiff. Everybody has to be performing and there are so many players who are performing. Shreyas has been doing well.

“Then Rajat Patidar has been doing well. Surya, once he has come and from the last two years, he’s been phenomenal (as captain). So, there are always slots up for grabs. Somebody is always waiting in the wings. Most importantly, the way Surya has batted, I think that is a matter of concern. But going ahead, yes, I think we need to move on now,” Gandhi said in an exclusive conversation with IANS on Friday.

Asked who was best placed to take over, Gandhi was unequivocal in his backing for Shreyas, pointing to the IPL title he won with KKR as the clearest proof of his leadership credentials. Apart from leading KKR to the IPL title in 2024, Iyer guided Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the finals in 2020 and 2025, respectively.

He also captained Mumbai to winning the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Iyer, the vice-captain in ODIs, wasn’t in the T20I set-up for the previous World Cup cycle, though he was in the squad for the series win over New Zealand as a replacement for injured Tilak Varma.

“See, we always want a captain who has a fair amount of experience, whether it is international experience or a successful IPL experience. So, I think Shreyas, the way he has led Punjab and even before that, captaining KKR – he had a fantastic run as they won the IPL under his captaincy. I think he is at the moment the frontrunner and quite deservingly, if he gets an opportunity, I think it will be fine,” he said.

On who should serve as vice-captain, Gandhi favoured Ishan Kishan over other contenders, citing his consistency around the squad setup and recent form. Kishan, who was a vital contributor in India winning the T20 World Cup, captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pat Cummins’ absence during IPL 2026 after previously leading Jharkhand to the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph.

“I think somebody who is a permanent feature – like Tilak, who has just been around the team. But the way Ishan has done well, I think he can be his deputy as well. So, I think in my opinion, I would favour Ishan Kishan,” he said.

Asked on whether experience, current form or long-term vision should be the primary criterion for picking the next T20I captain, Gandhi said the current selectors need to strike a balance across all three aspects while making the decision.

“It’s a balance of all three. I mean, to be honest, who is going to lead till the next T20 World Cup. If you just have a longer vision, at least for two years at least or three years, who is going to be your next captain?

“Who will be in charge? Who will be able to bring some sort of balanced experience to the side? Also, obviously, we want whoever is a captain has performed and is expected to perform. Nobody can guarantee performance.

“But if you look at a pattern, you will understand whether he’s led his side, whether just for any franchisee or whether just for a day, you get an idea whether he has the leadership qualities or not. So you have to keep those things in mind and based on that, you take a call on who is the guy to take Indian cricket forward,” he concluded.

–IANS

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