New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav has pipped Hardik Pandya in the race and is set to be appointed as India’s new captain in T20Is. Suryakumar will take over the reins from Rohit Sharma, who retired from the shortest format after leading India to glory in the T20 World Cup 2024 last month. Hardik was the favourite to lead India in T20Is after Rohit but his recurring injury issues and poor fitness track record have worked against him.
Hardik is the more experienced captain having led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is as well as the Gujarat Titans and the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. However, the selectors and team management reportedly have concerns over his fitness and frequent breakdowns. Hardik has missed 23 of India’s 79 T20Is since 2022 and that doesn’t sit well for a potential captaincy candidate.
Hardik led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title in their debut season followed by their second successive final in the second season. He also has a decent record while leading India and is arguably better than Suryakumar tactically. Suryakumar, on the other hand, has captained Mumbai in the domestic circuit and has also led India in a total of 7 matches last year.
Here is a look at 3 players who could lead India in T20Is instead of Suryakumar Yadav:
1) Jasprit Bumrah
The premier fast bowler can be a strong contender for captaincy going forward. Bumrah has been around for a while now and is arguably one of the best fast bowlers in the world at present. India can take a leaf out of Australia’s book and try Bumrah as captain in the shortest format. Besides being a calm presence in the middle, Bumrah has an astute cricketing brain and is a leader in his own right.
Bumrah is also one of the most consistent performers in the team and has already proved his worth in the T20 World Cup 2024. The pacer was exceptional throughout the tournament where he picked up 15 wickets at an incredible economy rate of 4.17, the best among the top ten wicket-takers of the tournament. Bumrah bagged the Player of the Tournament and played a vital role in India’s title-winning campaign.
2) Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya remains the strongest contender to replace Rohit Sharma as captain in T20Is, thanks to his terrific record. Hardik led Gujarat Titans to their maiden title triumph in his debut season as captain in the IPL and helped the team reach another final in 2023. He might have endured a drastic campaign with Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, but Hardik bounced back strongly in the T20 World Cup 2024 where he played a key role in helping India go all the way.
Hardik was also India’s designated captain in T20Is in the absence of Rohit following the team’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2022. He was also the vice-captain of the side in the T20 World Cup 2024 and has done little wrong in terms of leadership to be denied an opportunity to lead the side going forward. Hardik is also a vital cog in India’s T20I line-up and is one of the most important members in the team.
3) Shreyas Iyer
The BCCI has always maintained that split captaincy is not an option in Indian cricket and that one captain leading in both white-ball formats is an ideal scenario. However, that won’t be the case if Suryakumar takes over in T20Is as there are little chances of him taking over captaincy in ODIs anytime soon.
Shreyas Iyer can be an ideal fit if India want to groom a captain, who can lead in ODIs and T20Is going forward. Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title earlier this year and has also done well with Delhi Capitals in the past. He has also worked with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and has been captaining for a while now.
He was not part of the T20 World Cup 2024 squad and has struggled to cement his spot in T20Is, but can be a great fit if India decide to take a punt.
Suryakumar Yadav is reportedly set to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s new captain in T20Is. But there remain concerns if the star batter is the right choice for the position. Here is a look at 3 players who can be an ideal fit for T20I captaincy. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
