New Delhi: Team India will face Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series, starting from July 27 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele.
It is going to be the first assignment of the new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Notably, this will also be India’s first T20I series after the retirement of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja.
After Rohit’s retirement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain of the T20Is. All-rounder Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar were the frontrunners to replace Rohit as the new skipper of the shortest format.
However, the coach and the management selected Suryakumar as the T20I captain. Hardik led Team India in Rohit’s absence and was the first choice to lead the team after Rohit but his fitness was a big concern for the selectors and the management.
Ahead of the first T20I, the Indian skipper said that Hardik is a very important player for the team. He also said that the same train will go ahead, only the engine has changed.
“Hardik’s role has always been the same. He is a very important player for the team. The way he performed in the World Cup, I hope he will continue to do the same,” Suryakumar told PTI in an interview.
“The same train will go ahead; only the engine has changed and the bogies remain unchanged” he added.
‘Suryakumar is a short-term skipper’: Scott Styris
New Zealand former cricketer Scott Styris said that Suryakumar Yadav is a short-term captain as Gambhir is buying time to choose the next long-term skipper.
“I think he’s a short-term option. I don’t think Gambhir has a natural captain amongst the players that he has right now. So, he’s buying himself time as to who will be the next long-term captain” Scott Styris said in an interview with India Today.
He also talked about Shubman Gill and said that his role is to learn about leadership “Look, a vice-captain is just someone who is learning all about the leadership and how to run a cricket team. I have no problem with Shubman Gill being vice captain. He captains in the IPL. He captains a lot of big names, so there’s not an issue with that” he added.
Team India’s new T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav talked about Hardik Pandya’s role ahead of the India vs Sri Lanka three-match T20I series. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
