Suryakumar Yadav tipped to lead India in T20Is

Suryakuamar Yadav is the front-runner to lead the Indian cricket team in T20 internationals with the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka being his first assignment. This is contrary to earlier reports that suggested Hardik Pandya will be Rohit Sharma’s successor.

The think-tank and the core group at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), including the selection panel, are looking at Suryakumar, given his expected longevity in the format. Although Hardik was Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, he has been plagued by injuries a lot and the think-tank felt that having someone stable in a leadership role will augur well for the team.

Hardik picked up an injury during the ODI World Cup in India last year and was only able to make a comeback just before the Indian Premier League. He then played the T20 World Cup 2024 and was an integral part in India’s triumph.

For the numbers, Hardik was involved only in 46 T2OIs in the 79 that India played from 2022 to till the T20 World Cup. Hence, the core group has now preferred Suryakumar Yadav to lead the team, given how regular he is in the format for India.

An official announcement from the BCCI is expected very soon.

Suryakumar is no stranger to captaincy. The right-hand batter has captained Mumbai in domestic cricket. He also led India in five T20 internationals against Australia at home and in three T20 internationals in South Africa in 2023.

Given how he is regular in the set-up, his name was suggested keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind. The 2026 T20 World Cup will be played in the subcontinent.

The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka will be Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. The team will play three T20s and three ODIs. The Indian team will also start a new phase in the T20 format with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja calling it quits on a high after the T20 World Cup triumph.

However, the trio will play the one dayers but have requested rest from the series due to a hectic schedule that beckons the team. Hardik has also requested to be off from the series for personal reasons.