Who Will Lead? Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in T20I Captaincy Race
After surpassing Hardik Pandya, who served as vice captain throughout the team's winning run in the biennial competition that concluded last month, Suryakumar Yadav is expected to lead the Indian T20 side till the 2026 World Cup.
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After surpassing Hardik Pandya, who served as vice captain throughout the team’s winning run in the biennial competition that concluded last month, Suryakumar Yadav is expected to lead the Indian T20 side till the 2026 World Cup.
Pandya declared himself available for this month’s shortest format matches against Sri Lanka, but it has come to light that new head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar favour Suryakumar, who captained India in eight Twenty20 international matches against Australia and South Africa last year.
It has been discovered that earlier this evening, Pandya was informed by both Agarkar and Gambhir about the change in plan, and they were informed that a long-term solution was being finalized to guarantee stability.
The three-match ODI series against the island nation will see a break for “personal reasons” for Pandaya, one of the heroes of India’s World Cup victory last month in the West Indies.
The T20Is against Sri Lanka will take place from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele, followed by the ODIs from August 2 to 7 in Colombo. Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shortest format of cricket after the World Cup.
The squad for the series is expected to be announced in the next couple of days.
“Hardik Pandya was India’s T2O vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“Hardik’s break from ODIs is for very personal reasons. He doesn’t have any fitness issue as is being suggested in the media,” the official said.
It’s thought that one of the most well-liked players in the Indian squad is 33-year-old Suryakumar. Gambhir became well-known as a T20 player while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he was captain at the time. The captain gave him the nickname “SKY.”
Although Hardik was thought to be Rohit’s obvious successor, a number of variables have come into play. Due to his lackluster record as the Mumbai Indians captain, the selectors are unwilling to give him free reign over the missions he gets given. It won’t bother the selectors if he plays in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season in order to acquire some experience with 50 overs.
Regarding the ODIs, the official stated that Pandya has requested a leave of absence and has informed Rohit, who would also be taking a break from the series, of this. Gill and KL Rahul, who took the lead in the previous South African series, are contenders for the ODI captaincy.
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