Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, has made a significant decision regarding the T20I captaincy ahead of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav, rather than the incumbent vice-captain Hardik Pandya, is set to be named the captain for the series. This decision follows India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024, after which key players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from international cricket in the shortest format.
According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, Hardik Pandya was initially considered the prime candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as the long-term T20I captain. However, concerns about Pandya’s fitness and the need for effective workload management have led to the selection of Suryakumar Yadav. Pandya has had a series of injuries over the past year, missing several matches, which likely influenced this decision.
It was reported that both Gambhir and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, spoke to Pandya to explain the reasoning behind this change. They emphasized the importance of stability in the team’s leadership, leading to the decision to appoint Suryakumar as the captain not just for the Sri Lanka series but potentially until the 2026 World Cup.
The leadership role in T20I became vacant after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format, following India’s victory in the World Cup in the West Indies. Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial role in that victory, will take a break during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka for personal reasons, although he remains fit and available for the T20I series.
The T20I series against Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele, followed by the ODI series from August 2 to 7 in Colombo. The squad for the series is expected to be announced soon.
A senior BCCI official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that Hardik’s break from ODIs is for personal reasons and not due to fitness issues. The official also mentioned that there is a strong belief within the BCCI that Suryakumar Yadav is the right choice for the leadership role leading up to the 2026 World Cup.