The Indian cricket team is set to go with Hardik Pandya as captain in the next T20Is against West Indies. According to a report from PTI, the star all-rounder will be leading India in T20Is onwards as the selection committee is adamant on phasing out Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out of the shortest format of the game.
Hardik, 29, had led India in 11 T20Is already and also led in the opening ODI match against Australia prior to the Indian Premier League 2023. Rohit and Virat haven't featured in T20Is since the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup last year, where the Men in Blue failed to reach the finals. India's performance in Asia Cup 2022 also pushed the selection committee to look beyond Rohit Sharma for the next World Cup in 2024.
Indian national team selectors are already considering some big changes to the T20I squad for the five-match series against West Indies. IPL performers Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jitesh Sharma are in contention to make an international debut while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mohit Sharma are set to return to the team.
After a heavy 209-run loss against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 final, Rohit's captaincy has come under the scanner. The opener would be 38 at the end of the next WTC cycle and his deputy Cheteshwar Pujara is facing a potential snub from the red-ball team. The PIT report adds that KL Rahul will not be considered to lead India in any format.
The former national selector Devang Gandhi said that Shubman Gill is likely to be groomed as the next captain to lead India in Tests while Ravindra Jadeja might be used as a short-term option.
"The problem is that you give a West Indies Test series to Pujara and if he scores, you have got to persist with him for one more year as there are no Tests after this till December. So do you do that or straightaway get a youngster and get him ready for bigger battles," Devang Joshi told PTI.
