Suryakumar Yadav has been in the headlines since his catch in the final over of the T20 World Cup final 2024, which is the turning point of the match for some fans. Suryakumar Yadav is now considered as the preferred choice of new T20I captain of India after Rohit Sharma. Suryakumar Yadav has captained two T20I series with a record of 5 wins out of 7 matches. The BCCI is considering SKY as a long-term captain, keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. This decision will be confirmed as soon as India announces their squad for the Sri Lanka series on July 20th, 2024.
Suryakumar’s Performance and Experience in T20I
Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as the most dynamic T20I player for the Indian cricket team in recent years; with over 2000 runs in T20I, SKY is ranked number 2 in the world in ICC T20 player rankings. Yadav averages 40+ in T20I, with a commendable strike rate of 167.74. Suryakumar Yadav has four hundred in his T20I career, just behind former Indian Captain Rohit Sharma (5).
Suryakumar could be the perfect choice over Hardik Pandya due to his fitness issue and the workload Hardik carries due to his two-dimensional role with the bat and bowl. Suryakumar has previously captained India in two T20I series against Australia and South Africa, securing five wins out of 7 matches.
What Will be Hardik Pandya’s Role Against Sri Lanka
Hardik Pandya will likely miss the ODI series against Sri Lanka and will be available for the upcoming T20I series. Pandya has struggled with fitness issues and missed significant game time due to an ankle injury. Despite a successful T20 World Cup performance, these fitness issues could work against Hardik Pandya, and he might not retain his captaincy. Hardik Pandya will be available as the second think tank, serving his role as the vice-captain of the Indian Cricket Team in T20I.
The New Coaching Era Influences this Decision
The T20Is in Sri Lanka will be India’s first assignment under new coach Gautam Gambhir, who has taken over from Rahul Dravid. Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner, has made it clear that he made few mistakes as a captain of his IPL teams.
Gambhir states that he regretted not using a player to his maximum potential as KKR captain, but he’ll not repeat that in his coaching span with India. The selection panel and coach Gambhir have discussed the leadership change with Pandya, focusing on long-term goals for the team.
The Indian Team is changing the squad balance due to the retirement of key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from the format. To counter this, the Indian Cricket Team focuses on a long-term leader in Suryakumar Yadav, who’ll guide India through this phase and towards the next T20 World Cup in 2026. With the support of coach Gautam Gambhir and the selection panel, Yadav is likely to lead a new-look Indian side in the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka and beyond.
