Hardik Pandya unlikely to be named captain for T20Is in Sri Lanka; star batter emerges as frontrunner: Reports

Senior Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is unlikely to be named the captain for the upcoming T20I series in Sri Lanka. According to reports, star batter Suryakumar Yadav is likely to get the nod.

The 30-year-old Pandya was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma last month. The versatile all-rounder contributed with both bat and ball and also bowled the crucial last over in the final against South Africa in Barbados.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Suryakumar is set to be appointed the T20I captain ahead of Pandya for the three-match series in Sri Lanka. Fitness concerns over Pandya and his workload management are likely to be key factors as India look to appoint their next T20I skipper.

Rohit, along with Virat Kohli and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, announced his retirement from T20Is after India's triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pandya has led the Men in Blue in three ODIs and 16 T20Is. Under him, Gujarat Titans won the IPL in their maiden season in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2023.

The 30-year-old, though, got injured midway during the ODI World Cup at home last year after hurting his ankle while trying to stop a ball in his follow through.

He only returned to action during IPL 2024, where he captained Mumbai Indians without much success. Pandya, though, turned his fortunes around and put up a stellar show in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.

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Suryakumar's captaincy experience for India in T20Is

Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 series win against a second-string Australia side at home in November last year. The series was played just days after the Aussies had beaten India by six wickets in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Under the 33-year-old, the Men in Blue squared the T20I series in South Africa 1-1. The right-handed batter has smashed 2340 runs in 65 T20Is innings at a strike rate of 167.74, with four hundreds and 19 fifties.

Significantly, the tour of Sri Lanka will be the first assignment for new head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has taken over the reins from Rahul Dravid. VVS Laxman coached the young Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, during their recent visit to Zimbabwe. The Men in Blue won the series 4-1.