NEW DELHI:
Suryakumar Yadav
, the dynamic batsman, has unexpectedly emerged as a strong contender to lead India's T20 team until the 2026 World Cup, potentially surpassing
Hardik Pandya
, who was previously considered the natural choice for the position.
Despite Pandya's availability for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, it has come to light that Suryakumar, who led India in eight T20Is against Australia and South Africa in the previous year, is the favoured choice of the newly appointed head coach
Gautam Gambhir
and the chairman of selectors
Ajit Agarkar
.
It is understood that Gambhir and Agarkar had a discussion with Pandya earlier in the evening, explaining the decision to finalise a long-term option to ensure stability within the team.
The T20 captaincy position became available following
Rohit Sharma
's retirement from international cricket in the shortest format after India's triumphant World Cup campaign in the West Indies last month.
Pandya, a key contributor to that victory, will be absent from the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka due to "personal reasons".
The T20I series is scheduled from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele, followed by the ODIs from August 2 to 7 in Colombo. The squad announcement for the series is expected in the coming 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.
Suryakumar, aged 33, is considered one of the most well-liked individuals within the Indian cricket team. His rise to prominence as a T20 player occurred during his stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he played under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, who gave him the moniker 'SKY'.
Although Hardik Pandya was seen as the natural choice to succeed Rohit Sharma, several factors have influenced the decision-making process. His lackluster performance as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, coupled with the selectors' unwillingness to allow him to pick and choose his assignments, has impacted his chances.
The selectors are open to the idea of Pandya participating in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season to gain some experience in the 50-over format.
Regarding the ODIs, an official confirmed that Pandya has requested leave and has already informed Rohit, who is also taking a break from this series.
For the ODI series,
KL Rahul
, who led the team in the previous series in South Africa, and Shubman Gill are the frontrunners for the leadership role.
Thrust on domestic availability
Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, has emphasized the importance of star cricketers participating in domestic tournaments when they are not engaged in national team commitments. However, he mentioned that players such as Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah will be exempted from this requirement.
The BCCI is keen on having the remaining Test specialists take part in at least one or two Duleep Trophy matches scheduled for August. This participation is seen as a preparation for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
"This time there is no zonal selection committee for Duleep Trophy. Only the national selection committee will pick Duleep teams.
"All Test team contenders will be picked. For Rohit, Virat and Bumrah, it will be their choice if they want to play or not," the source added.
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