In a notable shift in leadership, Suryakumar Yadav is set to captain the Indian men’s T20I cricket team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, beginning on July 27. Sources from IANS indicate that Hardik Pandya, the current T20I World Cup vice-captain, will likely be absent from the squad announcement expected on Wednesday afternoon. Pandya has cited personal and family reasons for his unavailability, although he is expected to rejoin the Indian team for the T20Is against Bangladesh.
This change comes after Rohit Sharma, who led India to victory in the recent T20 World Cup, announced his retirement from the format. Alongside Sharma, veterans Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have also stepped down from T20 cricket. Despite Pandya’s significant captaincy experience—including leading India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, as well as captaining the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL—his frequent injuries have impacted his availability. An ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup in October 2023 sidelined him until IPL 2024. Since the start of 2022, Pandya has played in only 46 out of India’s 79 T20Is.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and led India in T20I series against Australia and South Africa last year, will take over the leadership role. Known for his aggressive batting style, Yadav’s approach aligns well with the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket, making him a crucial player in India’s lineup.
Gautam Gambhir is succeeding Rahul Dravid
The tour of Sri Lanka also marks the beginning of Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup. This tour is seen as a stepping stone towards building the team for the next T20 World Cup, scheduled for 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. While India recently played a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe immediately following the T20 World Cup, only three players from the World Cup-winning squad participated, and they were available only for the final three games.
As India transitions to a new leadership and coaching structure, the tour of Sri Lanka will be an opportunity to test and build a team capable of defending their T20 World Cup title in the future.Suryakumar to lead India in T20Is against Sri Lanka in Hardik’s absence:
