NEW DELHI:
Hardik Pandya
will captain India in the upcoming three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka starting July 27, but he will not participate in the subsequent ODI series in August due to personal reasons. According to a report, Pandya has already communicated his decision to regular skipper
Rohit Sharma
, who is also taking a break from the series.
An official confirmed Pandya’s decision, stating, "The break from ODIs is for very personal reasons. Hardik doesn't have any fitness issue as is being floated in the media."
With Pandya unavailable for the ODIs, the leadership role could fall to either
KL Rahul
or
Shubman Gill
. Rahul, having led India in the last ODI series in South Africa, and Gill, who recently captained India to a 4-1 series win over Zimbabwe, are both being considered for the captaincy.
A senior
BCCI
source told PTI on conditions of anonymity, "Hardik Pandya was India's T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and will lead the side."
Rohit Sharma, along with
Virat Kohli
and
Ravindra Jadeja
, retired from T20 Internationals at the end of the World Cup.
The T20Is against Sri Lanka will take place from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele. The ODIs are scheduled from August 2 to 7 in Colombo.
The squad for the series is expected to be announced in the next couple of days.
This series marks the beginning of the
Gautam Gambhir
era in Indian cricket, with the new head coach’s input expected to play a crucial role in the final decision-making process regarding the team’s leadership and composition.
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