Gambhir and Shah at Odds Over India’s T20I Captaincy? Squad Announcement Imminent
India's T20I Captaincy in Question as Squad Announcement Nears
The debate over who will become India’s next T20I captain is causing widespread discussion and may be behind the delay in announcing the white-ball squads for the Sri Lanka tour starting July 27.
Reports indicate that the BCCI was expected to reveal the squads on Wednesday, but a lack of consensus on whether Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav should lead the T20I team has pushed the announcement to Thursday.
Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after leading India to a T20 World Cup victory last month, the BCCI must choose between reinstating Hardik as captain or continuing with Suryakumar Yadav, who took over after Hardik’s injury last year.
Hardik recently returned to competitive cricket in the IPL after recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup. In his absence, Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 T20I series win against Australia.
New coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly
Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after leading India to a T20 World Cup victory last month, the BCCI must choose between reinstating Hardik as captain or continuing with Suryakumar Yadav, who took over after Hardik’s injury last year.
Hardik has been recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup and returned to competitive cricket in the IPL earlier this year. Meanwhile, Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 T20I series win against Australia.
New coach Gautam Gambhir is reportedly concerned about Hardik’s fitness due to his recent injuries (back and ankle). Reports also suggest that Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah had a vigorous discussion via video call, with Gambhir favoring Suryakumar and Shah supporting Hardik.
Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested for the tour. However, a Cricbuzz report on Wednesday hinted that Rohit might be available for the three-match ODI series.
This Sri Lanka tour marks Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach after succeeding Rahul Dravid post the T20 World Cup. The tour begins on July 27 with the first match of the three-game T20I series.
