Earlier, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is after India emerged victorious over the 2024 T20 World Cup making a bigger number of people think that Suryakumar Yadav, a senior batter and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are strong candidates for the position of new T20 captain.
In the ICC event, Pandya was the deputy to Rohit but in a striking change of events, it is being reported that Rohit together with Gautam Gambhir, the coach is supporting Suryakumar to captain in the T20 format.
To decide on this, the selection panel was planning on Wednesday but the talks were taking too long about who would lead the T20 international format that was to be postponed. In a white-ball series, India will be visiting Sri Lanka for three One Day Internationals as well as three T20Is between July 27th and August 7th.
The Times of India has reported that Pandya was vice captain during T20 World Cup and both Rohit Sharma and new coach Gambhir favour Suryakumar as the next captain over him in T20 International format.
Multiple sources have been quoted in the report as saying that according to them, Pandya’s past record in terms of physical form might not favour him should India choose a different person other than himself to take up leadership responsibilities.
Hardik Pandya could lose out to Suryakumar Yadav as the next India T20I captain owing to Pandya’s dodgy fitness record.
Meanwhile, SKY’s leadership has been received well within the Indian dressing room.(Indian express)pic.twitter.com/3ywm9Opvrb
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) July 16, 2024
According to media reports, Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have informed Pandya about their choice of Suryakumar as a potential T20I skipper by Pandya. There are also reports suggesting that the 26-year-old is on course to lead India until the 2026 World Cup.
Matching Pandya and Suryakumar’s T20I records
Pandya has played in a hundred T20 internationals notching up 1492 runs averaging 26.64 with a strike rate of 140.88, including four 50s. He has taken 84 wickets bowling at medium pace averaging 25.48 with a strike rate of 18.8; completing stage 4-5 wicket hauls.
Directing our gaze towards Suryakumar, a 33-year-old who has played 68 T20I matches and smacked 2340 runs at a whopping strike rate of 167.74, which is complimented with fours centuries and nineteen half-centuries to his name. He is also a great fielder, having taken an unbelievable catch in the final overs of the 2024 T20 World Cup finals against South Africa.
Thoes who doubted Surya Kumar Yadav catch should watch this video.
Its a proof of cleanest catch. pic.twitter.com/C8FiJotir7
— Ctrl C Ctrl Memes (@Ctrlmemes_) July 4, 2024
The captaincy experience of the two star players shows, however, that Pandya has led India in 16 T20Is and during the period, India won 10. Suryakumar, however, captained Team India seven times in T20Is winning five and losing two matches. During the T20I series in South Africa, he scored a brilliant 100 off 56 in the third match in Johannesburg.
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