Toss up between Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav as India look for new T20I captain, decision soon

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Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav? The BCCI is in a dilemma over Rohit Sharma's successor as the new T20I captain of India as the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka approaches.

India are set to play three T20Is and as many ODIs in Sri Lanka, and the announcement of the squads is expected this week. The T20I series kicks off on July 27, and there is an excitement over the announcement of the new T20I captain of India.

Hardik Pandya was the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team which won the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies last month. The star all-rounder fought against all the odds to heroically deliver in all the departments of the game.

He also bowled the final over in the final against South Africa as India defended 16 and ended their 13-year wait for an ICC World Cup trophy. Hardik was also Rohit's deputy in the ODI World Cup 2023, however he missed the majority of the matches due to an ankle injury.

It's the recurring injuries of Hardik Pandya which has put star batter Suryakumar Yadav in fray to become Rohit Sharma's successor as the new T20I captain of India. Both the players and Rohit Sharma played together for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024.

Hardik Pandya was given the charge of India's T20I side after Rohit Sharma took a year long sabbatical from T20I cricket. Later after injury in the ODI World Cup 2023, Suryakumar Yadav led the Men in Blue in the format before Rohit Sharma returned to lead India just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

As per a report in The Indian Express, the captaincy style of Suryakumar Yadav was well received by the players and management. Suryakumar Yadav is not a regular in India's ODI and Test squad, and handing him the captaincy could be a good move.

“It is a delicate matter. There is an argument on both sides of the debate and thus everyone is not on the same page. Hardik’s fitness is an issue but he played a big role in breaking India’s ICC jinx. As for Suryakumar, we have received feedback from the team that his captaincy style was well received by the dressing room,” a BCCI source involved in decision-making told The Indian Express.

Gautam Gambhir, the newly-appointed coach of the Indian cricket team, will also have a say in the decision. His tenure starts with the Sri Lanka tour.