Australian Stewart Walters will take over the Surrey captaincy in the absence of Mark Butcher.
Butcher has struggled with a long-term knee injury and will miss this week's County Championship match with Essex.
Surrey manager Chris Adams told BBC London 94.9: "I've made a bold decision but the correct one. By no means has he cemented his place in the side.
"But as an individual he ticks every other box, his leadership in the Twenty20 competition was fantastic."
The 25-year-old joined Surrey in 2005 and Adams thinks he has the qualities to eventually succeed Butcher, who has been with the club since 1992.
"I already had in my mind that the Pro40 was a competition that Stewart could captain all the way through and really take the younger squad through that competition," added Adams.
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