Suryakumar Yadav to take over from Rohit Sharma and succeed Hardik Pandya as India's T20I captain, starting with the Sri Lanka tour.

Not Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav To Be Named Indian Cricket Team’s T20I Captain

Suryakumar Yadav is set to be appointed as Indian Cricket Team’s new T20I captain, succeeding Hardik Pandya, the current vice-captain for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

https://twitter.com/espncricinfo/status/1813400731522936860?s=46



Suryakumar will take over from Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from T20Is, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, after leading India to a triumphant victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last month.

HARDIK ON THE HELM

Despite Hardik’s experience as a captain—having led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, and also captaining Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL—fitness issues and workload management have been factors against him. Since the beginning of 2022, Hardik has played in only 46 of India’s 79 T20Is.

SURYA’S SUCCESSFUL CAPTAINCY RECORD 



On the other hand, Suryakumar has a solid track record in leadership. He has captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and recently led India to a 4-1 series win against Australia in the T20I series last November, followed by a 1-1 draw in South Africa. His consistent performances have made him a key player in India’s T20I squad.

WHO IS A BETTER CAPTAIN?

A LEADERSHIP COMPARISON
NAMEGAMESWINSLOSSESTIED / NRWIN PERCENTAGE
Hardik Pandya16105162.50%
Suryakumar Yadav752071.43%



INDIA’S 1 CAPTAIN IDEOLOGY

As per a BCCI source, “Hardik Pandya was India’s T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup,” 

The T20Is in Sri Lanka will also mark the beginning of Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s new coach, taking over from Rahul Dravid after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This series is seen as a crucial step towards preparing for the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which India will co-host in 2026.

The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye

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