New Delhi: Flamboyant India batter Suryakumar Yadav might become the unexpected winner of the T20I captaincy race as he is said to be the preferred choice of new head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. This brushes off Hardik Pandya’s captaincy bid for the shorter format as he was reportedly set to replace retired Rohit Sharma and was to assume the role with the upcoming Sri Lanka T20Is.
According to a PTI report, Suryakumar might helm the T20I leadership duties for Team India till the 2026 World Cup and is set to pip top contender Pandya, whose elevation from the vice-captain’s position looked natural until now. Pandya had made himself available for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka this month but it has now emerged that Suryakumar, who boasts decent captaincy experience in the shorter format, is the favourite for Gambhir and Agarkar.
“Hardik Pandya was India’s T20 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.
It was learned that both Gambhir and Agarkar spoke to Pandya about this change of plan on Tuesday evening and have explained to him that the management is looking to finalise a long-term option to ensure stability. The role fell vacant after Rohit Sharma bid farewell to his T20I career following India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
Meanwhile, Pandya has only made himself available for the T20Is and will be on leave for the three-match ODI series with the Lankans that follows. According to the official, it is due to “personal reasons”, and Pandya has already communicated it to regular skipper Rohit, who will also miss the series.
Why SKY and not Hardik?
The 33-year-old Suryakumar is one of the most popular players in the Indian dressing room, surely after his heroic and match-winning catch during the T20 World Cup final last month. The catch is widely regarded as one of the best grabs ever taken in a pressure situation and the whole world is lavishing praise on the star batter for his athleticism and keeping the nerves in such a tense moment.
It was under Gambhir’s captaincy at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that he made a name for himself as a T20 player and got nicknamed “SKY” by the then skipper.
Hardik’s succession as the T20I captain became obvious as he was Rohit’s deputy in most of Team India’s assignments but multiple factors have come into play for the reported change. His performance as Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper was dismal and the selectors are in no mood to let him pick and choose his assignments, as per the report.
The selectors would be happy to seem him play Vijay Hazare Trophy this season to get some ODI practice. For the ODIs vs Sri Lanka, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are in contention for the leadership role.
Suryakumar Yadav might just pip Hardik Pandya to become the next T20I skipper of Team India as he is reportedly the preferred choice of new head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
