Team India is likely to witness a few major changes in the T20 squad following the West Indies series, for the three-match tour of Ireland in August. With the BCCI having moved on from the seniors in T20Is, Hardik Pandya has been leading the side since the T20 World Cup 2022. Hardik will continue to lead the side in the West Indies T20Is, however, there could be a few tweaks for the Ireland series, which is just before the Asia Cup and then the ICC Cricket World Cup.
As per a PTI report, Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill could be a couple of big names to be rested for the Ireland T20Is as part of the workload management. Since Gill is part of the squad in all three formats and Hardik will have a big role to play in Asia Cup and then the World Cup one after another, both could be rested after the West Indies tour.
"Nothing is finalised yet and it will also depend on how Hardik is feeling after the one-dayers and T20s in the West Indies. There is travelling involved and only a short turnaround of three days before one flies from Florida to Dublin.
"With World Cup being of primary importance, one has to factor in his workload. Let's not forget he will be Rohit's deputy in the World Cup," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
If Hardik does miss the Ireland T20Is, the current vice-captain of the team in the shortest format Suryakumar Yadav could be elevated to the role of captaincy for three matches, which has also been reported by The Times of India. Surya led the Mumbai Indians for the first time in the IPL in the 2023 edition and might be in the fray to make his captaincy debut for the national team as well. Along with the captaincy change, a return for pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also on the cards with BCCI mentioning that both him and Prasidh Krishna are in the last stage of their rehab.
