Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav is poised to become India’s new T20I captain, succeeding Hardik Pandya, the current vice-captain, for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.
He replaces Rohit Sharma, who, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, retired from T20Is after India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last month.
Despite Hardik’s experience as Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup and his captaincy in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, as well as leading teams in the IPL, concerns over his fitness and workload management have reportedly swayed the decision.
After an ankle injury during the 50-over World Cup, Hardik was sidelined until the IPL 2024, where he led Mumbai, and only returned to the national team for the T20 World Cup. Since the beginning of 2022, he has played in only 46 of India’s 79 T20Is.
Suryakumar, on the other hand, has leadership experience with Mumbai in domestic cricket and recently guided India to a 4-1 T20I series victory over Australia and a 1-1 draw in South Africa. He is also a key player in India’s T20I setup.
The upcoming T20Is in Sri Lanka mark India’s first venture under new coach Gautam Gambhir, who replaces Rahul Dravid post-T20 World Cup, and the beginning of preparations for the next T20 World Cup, which India will co-host in 2026.
Following a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe, a young Indian team led by Shubman Gill has just returned home. This squad included only three players from the World Cup-winning team. The selectors are expected to meet on Wednesday to finalize the touring party, which will play three T20Is and three ODIs in Sri Lanka.
