Hardik Pandya to be the next captain for India in T20 cricket - Reports

Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma (Source: Twitter)

India crashed out of the 20-20 World Cup semi-final against England as they could muster only 168-6 in their 20 overs and then the bowling unit looked listless as they could not pick up a wicket against the dynamic duo of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, who put together a record 170 run partnership.

After the shocking semi-final exit, the Indian Cricket Board has taken some quick decisions to revamp the team in the shortest format of the game and also look at a new approach when it comes to T20 cricket. For the first time, split captaincy will be tried in Indian Cricket, according to the reports.

According to sources, it has been said that Hardik Pandya will be given the permanent responsibility of captaining the Indian T20 side and that an official announcement will be made in the series against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the team in ODI and Test formats.

Here is what a source in the Indian Cricket board had to say about the decision: “See the consensus is there that now is the time to change. All of us feel Rohit Sharam first of all still has a lot to offer but at the same time, he has too much on his plate. And mind it, he is not getting any younger."

“For the T20 World CUP 2024, we need to prepare now. Hardik is right fit for the role. Selectors will meet and officially announce Hardik as India’s captain before next T20 assignment”, the source added.

The decision has not been officially confirmed with Rohit Sharma

Hardik Pandya, at present, is captaining the Indian side against New Zealand in a T20I series, since senior players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin have been given a rest. The decision, though, has not been officially communicated to Rohit Sharma. This is what an Indian Cricket Board official said: “No not yet. They have just returned. We will soon call coach, captain for the meeting and have a word”.

This is what Ravi Shastri said about Hardik Pandya captaining India in a media interaction: “For T20 cricket, there is no harm in having a new captain. Because the volume of cricket is such that for one player, to play all three formats of the game is never going to be easy. If Rohit is already leading in Tests and ODIs, there is no harm in identifying a new T20I captain and if his name is Hardik Pandya, so be it,”