With the impending July 27 start of the T20I trip of Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav is expected to take charge of the team, marking a dramatic shift in leadership for the Indian men’s cricket team.
The Indian selection for Sri Lanka, which is anticipated to be revealed on Wednesday afternoon, may not include T20I World Cup vice captain Hardik Pandya. Pandya has given an excuse for his absence, stating that he has personal and family obligations. Hardik will make his T20I debut for India against Bangladesh.
Along with seasoned players Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, Suryakumar will succeed Rohit Sharma, who most recently guided India to victory in the T20 World Cup before quitting the competition.
Hardik has led India in three ODIs, sixteen T20Is, and the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL, among other captaincy experiences. However, his chronic injuries have limited his availability. Most recently, he was sidelined till the IPL 2024 due to an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup in October 2023. Hardik has only played in 46 of India’s 79 Twenty20 Internationals since the beginning of 2022.
Having captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and India in the T20I series against Australia and South Africa last year, Suryakumar Yadav has a plethora of leadership experience. His aggressive batting approach fits in nicely with the modern T20 game, which makes him an important member of India’s squad.
After the T20 World Cup, Gautam Gambhir will succeed Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach, and the trip of Sri Lanka will also herald his first year in that role. The team-building process for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka in 2026, has begun with this visit.
Following the T20 World Cup, India did play a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, but only three members of the World Cup-winning team were available for the final three games.