Reports: Hardik Pandya in line to take over T20I captaincy
Team India is currently in the midst of the ongoing three-match ODI series against New Zealand following the conclusion of the T20I series that was marked successful under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. After the screeching halt in the T20 World Cup campaign, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are holding talks with the management to make changes within the squad in the shortest format specifically.
Hardik Pandya-led India registered T20I series win against the Kiwis after the star all-rounder took over the leadership role as the stand-in captain Rohit Sharma was rested post the T20 World Cup. As per multiple reports, the BCCI is pondering over the idea of following the English cricket template of having different skippers across the formats.
“The BCCI never asks anyone to retire. It is an individual decision. But yes, with just a handful of T20Is scheduled in 2023, most of the seniors will concentrate on ODIs and Test matches in that cycle. You don’t need to announce retirement if you don’t want to. You will not see most of the seniors playing T20 next year,” a source close to the BCCI was quoted as saying by News18.
Furthermore, the Men in Blue were at the receiving end of a lot of criticism for their semi-final performance during the T20 World Cup match against England. The management believes that the side should develop playing the aggressive style of cricket, something that Hardik has an understanding of.
BCCI to phase out senior players
While Hardik could be shouldering the responsibility as the skipper of the side, the BCCI is also intending to phase out senior players from the squad. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin are among the names who are not likely in the plans ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Despite head coach Rahul Dravid stating that it is too early for a ‘transition’, the BCCI however, is ideating a roadmap for the side ahead of the global events. While the primary focus remains on the 2023 Cricket World Cup, scheduled to take place in India, the management might slowly head for a transition and the team might be led by a new skipper with many of the senior players marking their exit.
