The Indian national cricket team secured a 4-1 win over the Zimbabwe national cricket team under the captaincy of Shubman Gill in the recently concluded series. Now, the focus shifts to the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which will confirm Hardik Pandya’s future as the permanent T20I captain.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rested Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant for the recent Zimbabwe series to give them some breathing room following their 2024 T20 World Cup win. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have announced their retirement from the shortest international format.
India will visit Sri Lanka for a series of white-ball matches, comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs. This will be Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach. The tour will begin with the first T20I at Pallekele on July 27, with the remaining matches to be played at the same venue on July 28 and 30 respectively.
Hardik Pandya to lead Team India in T20I series, report says
According to a report by CricketNext, Hardik Pandya will captain India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be named as the vice-captain. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh, among other players from the T20 World Cup-winning team, are expected to be part of the squad.
Hardik Pandya was vice-captain during the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). Pandya led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their first title as captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. However, he faced significant challenges in his recent stint with the Mumbai Indians (MI).
The star all-rounder’s successful stint with the IPL franchise earned him the opportunity to become the captain of the national team. The 30-year-old cricketer has led the Indian cricket team in 16 T20Is, achieving 10 wins and one draw. Additionally, Pandya has captained the Men in Blue in three ODIs, winning two of those matches.
Hardik Pandya could be the ideal candidate, says former India coach
Former India coach Saba Karim said that the selectors and head coach need to determine whether Hardik Pandya can lead effectively and continue the team’s progress. Karim added that Hardik is the ideal candidate to lead the T20I team, given his experience as vice-captain.
“In my opinion, the discussion will be about who will take the team forward in T20Is and who is the most suitable candidate. As I said, since Hardik Pandya has been the vice-captain, he should be chosen if you look at it logically, but at the end of the day, the selectors and the head coach will have to think whether he can take the team forward as captain,” Karim said.
“If the selectors feel that Hardik Pandya has played a fantastic role and can do the same as captain, he can certainly be the ideal candidate. That’s why I think these two candidates are the best,” he added.
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