NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (
BCCI
) and the selection committee members are currently divided over appointing
Hardik Pandya
as the permanent T20I captain due to concerns about his fitness. Despite Pandya's key role in ending India's ICC jinx in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, his history of serious injuries over an eight-year international career has cast doubt on his reliability as a leader.
Pandya has opted out of red-ball cricket entirely due to his fitness struggles.
This decision has caused the BCCI to hesitate in appointing him as a captain, given that he might frequently miss important series.
"It is a delicate matter. There is an argument on both sides of the debate, and thus, everyone is not on the same page. Hardik’s fitness is an issue but he played a big role in breaking India’s ICC jinx," a top BCCI source told The Indian Express.
In light of these concerns,
Suryakumar Yadav
has emerged as a strong candidate for the
T20I captaincy
. Yadav, currently India’s No.1 batter in T20Is following the retirement of
Rohit Sharma
and
Virat Kohli
, has shown his leadership skills in the home series against Australia after the ODI World Cup and during the subsequent South Africa tour.
"As for Suryakumar, we have received feedback from the team that his captaincy style was well received by the dressing room," the source added.
The final decision on the T20I captaincy will be heavily influenced by new head coach
Gautam Gambhir
. Gambhir has worked with Suryakumar Yadav while leading the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
The BCCI and the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, face a time crunch as the first selection meeting with Gambhir is scheduled for this week. The squads for the upcoming ODI and T20I series in Sri Lanka will be announced shortly after this meeting.
The
Sri Lanka tour
will mark the beginning of the Gambhir era in Indian cricket. This tour is expected to provide a clear indication of the future direction of India's T20I side.
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