Hardik Pandya was heavily tipped to become India's new captain in the shortest format. With Pandya completing his redemption at the T20 World Cup, there was no brainer that the all-rounder would succeed Rohit Sharma. However reports indicate that newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir is in favor of another player for the T20I captaincy.
Hindustan Times reported that Gambhir indirectly favored Suryakumar Yadav for the T20I captaincy by stating that he would want to work with a captain who can play in all series before the T20 World Cup 2026.“Although Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call, he made it amply clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a stumbling block. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official told Hindustan Times.
The selection committee is divided over appointing Hardik as captain, with some supporting him due to his role as vice-captain in the World Cup win. However, concerns persist over Hardik's injury history. The 30-year-old cricketer missed nearly six months after an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last year.
Hardik Pandya is a more experienced captain compared to Suryakumar Yadav. The star all-rounder guided the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title in 2022 and finished as runners-up in the following season. Pandya has led India in 16 T20Is, leading them to 10 wins and one tie. He also captained India in three ODI matches.Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, has limited captaincy experience, having led India in only seven T20Is. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is set to convene on Thursday, July 18, to finalize India's squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, comprising three T20Is and three ODIs.
