Hardik Pandya Not Confirmed As Captain For SL Series? Gambhir And Agarkar To Decide Future
Hardik Pandya after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 (x)
The appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India's new head coach marks a pivotal shift towards a youthful approach in the upcoming Sri Lanka series. This, coupled with the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from the T20I format, has opened a significant debate regarding the team's permanent captaincy.
Hardik Pandya, the designated vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, appeared as the natural successor.
Agarkar And Gambhir Likely To Have Conversation On Hardik Pandya's Role In The Team
So according to several reports, Chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, is expected to talk with Gambhir before the official announcement of the Sri Lanka series squad, which will likely shed light on the captaincy direction of Hardik Pandya.
“There are a lot of things they need to discuss regarding the team structure. Gautam will also need to plan for the future, especially T20 World Cup 2026. Hardik is definitely a huge topic of discussion. Both Gautam and Hardik need clarity on the role,” as per reports.
Hardik Pandya The Next T20I Captain?
With the upcoming India vs Sri Lanka series, significant developments within the Indian cricket team have cast uncertainty on Hardik Pandya's potential role as the full-time T20I captain.
Pandya's successful leadership of the Gujarat Titans to an IPL title positioned him as the natural successor to Rohit Sharma in the shortest format. However, Pandya's captaincy stint with the Mumbai Indians this season proved to be a challenging experience.
Further complicating the selection process is the emergence of other strong captaincy contenders. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and even Rishabh Pant are increasingly seen as potential leaders, given their experience and on-field presence.