The Indian cricket team’s roster for their trip to Sri Lanka, which begins on July 27 with a T20 match in Pallekele, has been announced. This marks Gautam Gambhir’s inaugural series as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, and the chosen players for the three T20 matches and three One Day Internationals (ODIs) are quite intriguing. The most significant change is that Suryakumar Yadav, instead of Hardik Pandya, will be the captain for the three T20 matches against Sri Lanka.
Previously, Yadav had been skipper of the Indian T20 team when they played against South Africa and Australia. Pandya was the vice-captain for India during the T20 World Cup, and it was thought that he might become the captain next. But with Yadav now appointed as the Indian T20 captain, it seems that those in charge, including Gautam Gambhir, see Yadav, who plays for Mumbai Indians, as a potential long-term captain. Notably, Hardik Pandya has also not been chosen as the vice-captain this time. Instead, Shubman Gill has been given that role.
Additionally, a report from the Press Trust of India suggested that Yadav could remain as captain until the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Why wasn’t Hardik Pandya, a key player in India’s T20 World Cup victory, chosen as captain?
ESPNCricinfo reports that “concerns about his fitness and managing his workload” were the reasons Pandya was not selected. The talented all-rounder took a long break after hurting his ankle unexpectedly during the ODI World Cup in 2023. He returned to play in the IPL. This wasn’t the first time; Pandya has frequently had to sit out because of injuries.
Pandya is currently India’s top fast bowling all-rounder. He is a unique comodity in Indian cricket. If the team management wants to keep an eye on how much he is playing to prevent him from getting too tired, they are doing the right thing.
