Hardik Pandya to lead India in T20Is?

Hardik Pandya poised to be next T20I captain after Rohit Sharma’s retirement.

June 29 was a momentous day for Rohit Sharma as he finally clinched his second T20 World Cup trophy, 17 years after the first. The 2024 victory holds special significance as it comes at the twilight of his career. Soon after the win, both Rohit and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20 Internationals.

The Challenge of Finding a New Captain

Rohit’s departure leaves Team India without one of their finest batters and a seasoned captain. While there is no shortage of batting talent with players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Abhishek Sharma, finding a leader of Rohit’s caliber is a challenging task.

Replacing a successful captain has historically been difficult for teams. England struggled after Eoin Morgan retired in 2021, Australia faced challenges post-Michael Clarke in 2015, and stability only returned with Pat Cummins in 2021. Fortunately for India, Rohit’s successor seems ready—Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya’s Rise as a Captain

Hardik Pandya has established himself as a successful T20 captain in a short period. He debuted as the captain for Gujarat Titans two years ago, leading them to victory in his first season with 12 wins out of 16 matches. Following his IPL success, he captained a young Indian team in Ireland and led the Men in Blue to series victories against Sri Lanka and the West Indies in early 2023.

In the IPL 2023 season, Hardik guided the Gujarat Titans to another final, winning 11 of 17 matches. Although he lost a tight series to the West Indies in August 2023, his overall record as India’s T20I captain remains impressive.

Hardik Pandya’s T20 Captaincy Record

T20Is:
– Matches: 16
– Won: 10
– Lost: 6
– Win Percentage: 62.50%

IPL:
– Matches: 45
– Won: 26
– Lost: 19
– Win Percentage: 57.77%

Among IPL captains who have led in 45 or more matches, only Sachin Tendulkar has a better win percentage (58.82%) than Hardik Pandya. Similarly, for Indian T20I captains who led in 10 or more matches, only Rohit Sharma boasts a higher win percentage (79.03%).

With Rohit Sharma stepping away from T20Is, Hardik Pandya is poised to take over the reins. His proven track record in both the IPL and T20Is makes him a strong candidate to lead the Indian team into the next era of T20 cricket.