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    India news – Suryakumar Yadav and not Hardik Pandya set to lead India in the T20I leg of Sri Lanka tour

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    Though Hardik was Rohit’s deputy in the USA and the Caribbean during the World Cup, and is a more experienced captain, having led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is over the years, as well as Gujarat Titans in two seasons of the IPL and Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, it is understood that concerns about his fitness tipped the scales against him.

    Injuries have dogged Hardik in recent years. Most recently, an ankle injury he picked up during India’s game against Bangladesh at the ODI World Cup on October 19, 2023 kept him out till IPL 2024, which he played as Mumbai Indians’ captain, replacing Rohit. He returned for national duty only at the T20 World Cup. In fact, of the 79 T20Is India have played since the start of 2022, Hardik has been part of only 46.

    Suryakumar has led Mumbai in domestic cricket in the past, and also captained India in the five-T20I series against Australia at home and in the three-T20I series in South Africa, both late last year. He is a certainty in the line-up and bats in a tempo suited to contemporary T20 cricket.

    The T20Is in Sri Lanka will be India’s first assignment under new coach Gautam Gambhir, who has taken over from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup, and also the first step with all first-choice players in the mix towards building the team for the next T20 World Cup, in 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka. India did play a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe immediately after the T20 World Cup, but that side included just three players from the side that won the World Cup, and they were available only for the last three games.

    It is understood that the selectors will meet on Wednesday to finalise the touring party. Along with three T20Is, the tour will feature three ODIs.

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