Shubman Gill has replaced Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain of India’s T20I side and will serve as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav, who has been named as India’s T20I captain for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. The BCCI has announced India’s ODI and T20I squads for this tour. Gill, who was tasked with captaincy duties for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, led India to a 4-1 series victory. Following this successful stint, Gill will be taking on the vice-captaincy role in both the shortest format and the ODI format for the Sri Lanka tour.
Hardik Pandya was India’s vice-captain during their T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in the USA and West Indies, where he played a crucial role with his all-round performances. Initially seen as the successor to Rohit Sharma as T20I captain after Rohit’s retirement from the format, Hardik has now been removed from the vice-captaincy post. Despite this, Hardik remains part of the T20I squad as a player but does not feature in the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series.
Shubman Gill’s rise in the team has been remarkable. Initially a reserve player for the T20 World Cup 2024, he has quickly moved up the ranks, leading the team against Zimbabwe and now being appointed vice-captain. Gill’s performance in Zimbabwe was impressive, as he emerged as the top-run scorer of the series with 170 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 125.93 and an average of 42.50.
The T20I series against Sri Lanka will commence in Pallekele on July 27 and conclude on July 30.
India’s T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series includes: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohammed Siraj.
