Hardik Pandya, the ace all-rounder from India, will lead the team, which is set to flambeau the three-match T20I series with Sri Lanka starting from July 27, while he has opted out of the entire three-match ODI series in August due to ‘personal reasons’, confirmed sources close to the BCCI. This development has occurred only weeks after India had won the T20 World Cup, where Pandya was a star performer as the vice-captain under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
However, BCCI has mentioned that Pandya’s exclusion from the ODI setup is for personal reasons and not for issues related to his fitness. With Rohit Sharma having recently called it a day in T20Is, the series against Sri Lanka presents him with the chance to finally cement his leadership credentials in this format also.
The official announcement of the squad is a few days away, and the race for the deputy captaincy in T20I has rung loud appraisals for Pandya. The front-runners for the vice-captaincy role would be Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, who was the captain during the T20I series played at home against South Africa last year.
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Now, that entire ODI series looks quite different; with Pandya out and Rohit Sharma rested, the ODIs open the captaincy again. KL Rahul, who led the Indian team the last time in a home series against South Africa, and Shubman Gill are rated as some of the best contenders to lead.
Hardik Pandya will miss the ODI leg of Sri Lanka tour due to PERSONAL REASONS. pic.twitter.com/oV4bFmSsdH
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) July 16, 2024
Although the BCCI has clarified that it would want its cricketers to be available for, at the very least, domestic events, when they are not occupied with international assignments, there are wary exceptions brought in nonetheless for stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah.
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However, the board is adamant on the rest of the Test specialists to play at least a game or two in the Duleep Trophy matches in August, ahead of the series of Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand. This time, the national selection committee itself will select the teams for the Duleep Trophy to make the pool of contenders strong. Participation for Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah is left to their personal choice, but the BCCI hopes that other Test specialists make full use of the opportunity to fine-tune themselves.
Pandya’s decision to take up the leadership of the T20I series reflects a move that was taken, in all probability, for him to ensure and observe his growing leadership potential. The T20I series against Sri Lanka is surely a stepping stone that Pandya and the entire team will look to build for the future. The ODI series now becomes an exciting platform for a new leader to rise and conquer in the world of victories.
