Hardik Pandya was widely anticipated to succeed Rohit Sharma as India's new captain following a stellar campaign at the ICC T20 World Cup. Serving as Rohit’s deputy, all-rounder Hardik played a pivotal role in securing India’s T20 World Cup victory, notably defending 16 runs in the final over against South Africa, clinching a thrilling seven-run win for India.
With Rohit retiring from T20I cricket, Hardik was the expected choice for captaincy. He had already replaced Rohit as the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, with the arrival of head coach Gautam Gambhir, Hardik was not considered for the high-profile post. Instead, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik's MI teammate and former world number one batter, emerged as a surprise candidate for the role.
On Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's squads for the upcoming Sri Lanka series and confirmed Suryakumar as the new T20I captain. Alongside this announcement, Shubman Gill was named the vice-captain for both the One Day International (ODI) and T20I series against Sri Lanka, replacing Hardik in the vice-captaincy role.
Gill’s promotion followed his impressive leadership in guiding India to a 4-1 series win over Zimbabwe. He captained a second-string side in the five-match T20I series under VVS Laxman's coaching and has been the second-highest run scorer in the 50-over format since early 2023. Despite missing out on the T20I captaincy, Hardik also lost his vice-captaincy to Gill. Hardik will be absent from the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka series due to personal reasons and will participate only as an all-rounder in the T20I series.
The Indian think tank’s decision to appoint Suryakumar as the next T20I captain likely stems from concerns over Hardik’s fitness and workload management. Hardik, who has captained India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, suffered an ankle injury at the ODI World Cup last year. He returned to competitive cricket after a significant injury layoff, making his comeback at the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In summary, Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as the new T20I captain reflects a strategic move by the Indian selectors to ensure robust leadership and address fitness concerns surrounding Hardik Pandya. With Shubman Gill stepping into the vice-captaincy role, India aims to maintain its competitive edge and foster new leadership ahead of crucial international fixtures.