Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav - who should captain India in T20Is vs Sri Lanka?
There is likely to be a toss-up between all-rounder Hardik Pandya and star batter Suryakumar Yadav when it comes to picking the Indian captain for the upcoming T20I series in Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue will play three T20Is in the island nation between July 27 and July 30 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
There have been contrasting reports over who would be Team India's captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. A report in news agency PTI claimed that Pandya would miss the ODIs due to personal reasons, but is set to be named captain for the three-match T20I series.
"Hardik Pandya was India's T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and will lead the side," a senior BCCI source was quoted as telling PTI on conditions of anonymity.
On the other hand, a report in ESPNcricinfo claimed that Suryakumar is set to be appointed as T20I captain ahead of Pandya. As per the report, there are concerns over the all-rounder's fitness and his workload management.
Fitness woes stand in way of Hardik Pandya's elevation to T20I captain
There are no two ways about the fact that Pandya has proved himself as a captain in T20s. He was brilliant as leader of the Gujarat Titans (GT) franchise in IPL 2022, guiding a team that did not look strong on paper to victory in their maiden appearance in the T20 league. To prove that his performance was not a fluke, he took GT to the final in IPL 2023, where they went down to Chennai Super Kings.
Not only as skipper, but Pandya led from the front with bat and ball as well, proving that the responsibility of captaincy only enhanced his individual performances. His stint with Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024 was more of an aberration. The atmosphere was volatile as he replaced Rohit Sharma as franchise skipper. Given the circumstances, there was very little chance of him succeeding.
Having been the vice-captain for the Indian team that lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and United States, Pandya should be seen as the natural successor to Rohit, who announced his retirement from T20Is after the Men in Blue's famous triumph in the ICC event last month. The big problem with the all-rounder, though, is his fitness, which stands in his way of elevation to full-time T20I captain.
Pandya hurt his ankle midway through the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. He returned to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, but failed to make an impact either as captain or all-rounder. Of course, as mentioned earlier, there were other factors also at work. The 30-year-old, however, made a stellar comeback in the 2024 T20 World Cup, making a significant contribution with both bat and ball.
The big question, however, is whether India need Pandya more as an all-rounder or as a captain. The cricketer has a history of breaking down and has always carried that ‘handle with care’ tag with him. In case, he is appointed as full-time T20I captain and is not available continuously, it will throw things out of gear. Significantly, as per ESPNcricinfo, Pandya has featured in only 46 of the 79 T20Is Team India have played since the start of 2022.
Suryakumar Yadav a safer bet as T20I captain
In comparison to Pandya, Suryakumar does not have a lot of captaincy experience. He has only led the Men in Blue in seven T20Is, all of them in 2023. Under him, India beat a second-string Australian side 4-1 in a five-match series. There was not much to gain from the series, though, as it was played immediately after the 2023 ODI World Cup, in which India went down to Australia in the final.
Suryakumar was also the leader of the team that squared the T20I series in South Africa 1-1. The 33-year-old impressed with the bat, registering scores of 56 off 36 and 100 off 56. With the knocks, he proved that the additional responsibility of captaincy does not bog him down.
The right-handed batter, however, is yet to prove himself as a full-time leader. That can only happen if he gets continuous opportunities. Suryakumar is a first-choice player in the T20I squad, so it makes sense to elevate him to captaincy. There is still plenty of time left for the next T20 World Cup. So, in case things don’t go according to design with Suryakumar’s captaincy, India can always go for Plan B.