The Indian cricket board on Thursday named Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain of the Indian T20 team, with Rohit Sharma returning to lead the ODI squad for the upcoming Sri Lankan tour that marks the beginning of Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach.
Suryakumar, also known as ‘SKY’, will be captaining the side in the shortest format, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced while unveiling the India squad. The announcement came as a surprise to many, as seasoned all-rounder Hardik Pandya was widely expected to take on the role, given the fact that he had remained the vice-captain under Rohit.
The upcoming tour – from July 27 to August 7 and consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs – also sees Virat Kohli’s return to the squad for the 50-over leg, which put to rest rumors that he would sit this one out and return just before next year’s Champion’s Trophy. Interestingly, both Suryakumar and Pandya have not been included in the ODI squad, while star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will miss the entire tour. Also, Shubman Gill will perform his duties as vice-captain with both ‘SKY’ and Rohit. It may be mentioned here that the Men in Blue have not played any bilateral series in Sri Lanka since 2021.
Suryakumar anticipated to bring new energy to team
The decision to hand T20 captaincy over to ‘SKY’ is being dubbed the right move at the right time. He has been an outstanding performer in the 20-over format, and is ranked #2 in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.
After making his debut in 2021, he quickly secured a permanent spot in the team as a middle-order batsman. Although this will be his debut as a captain of the Indian team, he is no stranger to the role.
‘SKY’ was made the captain of the Mumbai team in 2015 soon after he led the side to win the prestigious Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2014. Under his leadership, the domestic team won 11 of the 17 matches played.
No everyone might agree with the cricket board’s choice for captaincy, but it clearly shows that the BCCI wants to inject fresh energy and ideas into the team, paying the way for new heroes to rise and shine. Experts believe Pandya to be an invaluable asset to the team, whose presence is needed, especially in mentoring the younger players. The say that his match-winning abilities make him a player any captain would want on his side.
The upcoming tour will prove how well the new leadership and team composition gel together. But one thing is for sure that cricket fans can expect a thrilling series. The tour will also test young bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, who have shown promise but need to deliver consistently in international cricket.