Shubman Gill is being groomed to take over as India’s all-format captain, and that’s a fact. But then, what could be the succession plan? How long could Suryakumar Yadav lead the T20 team and what will be the thinking going ahead?
Surya will captain the Indian team in the 2026 T20 World Cup, unless there are exceptionally bad results in the Asia Cup, and the three bilateral series that follow. If things go to plan, and they should, Surya will indeed lead the team on home soil in February-March. And Gill will be his deputy. Thereafter, however, comes the twist. To many, Gill is expected to take over after the World Cup is over. Maybe not. Soon after the T20 World Cup is over, the focus will shift to the Test format and the 50-over ODIs. Gill is already captain in red-ball cricket and is expected to lead in the 2027 home World Cup as well, unless Rohit Sharma is able to turn the clock back dramatically.
In such a scenario, with red-ball and 50-over cricket being the focus, Gill isn’t expected to play much T20 cricket between May 2026 and mid-2027. His priority will be Test matches and ODIs, and there is every chance that he will skip T20s, much like he has done in the last 12 months. From the workload management standpoint too, this makes sense. There is enough and more cricket lined up for Gill to be busy, and it will be near impossible to play all games across all formats.
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With T20 cricket expected to take a backseat for a year between the middle of 2026 and 2027, there should be no hurry to make Gill captain. Unless Surya loses form or is injured, it serves India well for Gill to continue as vice-captain till the 2027 WTC final is over.
Post the WTC cycle and the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa, the focus will be back on T20 cricket. More so with the LA 2028 Olympics round the corner by then. Cricket making it back to the Olympics is a massive moment, and that’s when you need your poster boy to market the game. That’s the opportune moment to make Gill captain. You need a face to market the sport in LA, and in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gill is expected to be that face. He is the draw who will help market cricket at the Olympics, and help the brand grow.
All of this leads me to say that Surya will indeed captain India in 2026 and could well stay on as skipper till mid-2027. With fitness and form, it would be a very fair call. Beyond that, it could be Gill’s time, especially with the focus shifting to the shortest format.
For all of this to happen, two things need to work for Gill. First and foremost is his form. He needs to score runs and lots of them. Second, his stock as Test and ODI leader – once he assumes that mantle – can’t go down. Indian cricket is fickle, and things can change dramatically. If both these things happen, he could be the face of cricket at LA28.
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