India faced a bitter loss at the hands of England in the T20 World Cup semi-final. Despite cruising smoothly through the Super 12 stage, India failed to rise over the knock-out match. And consequently, India’s long wait for ICC trophies continues ahead. Last they won an ICC trophy, it was 2013 and MS Dhoni was the skipper of India. Virat Kohli succeeded Dhoni as the captain but failed to bring in any title. And now Rohit Sharma seems to be wandering on the same lanes as Kohli. Consequently, the name of Hardik Pandya has come up as the next potential captain of India.
Hardik Pandya As The Next Limited-Overs Captain of India?
The defeat of India against England isn’t an easy one to take. England chased down the target of 169 without losing a single wicket. And the sour loss of India is ought to bring in drastic changes in the side. Sunil Gavaskar along with many has predicted strong effects of India’s World Cup exit. Gavaskar has stated that many prominent names from the current lot will turn in their retirement post this result.
However, the possibility seems far-fetched, but the possibility of a change in the squad seems relevant. Former legendary player Sunil Gavaskar amidst the hues and cries of the loss has backed Hardik Pandya as India’s next limited-overs captain. Gavaskar stated that Pandya’s win in the IPL with a new team in his maiden season as a skipper has made him the prime option to succeed Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma is inching close to 36 while Kohli has previously captained India and is 34 already. Shikhar Dhawan isn’t a part of the T20Is plan and KL Rahul is struggling to manage his own form, let alone his ability to manage the team. And in this scenario, Hardik Pandya with his epic redemption has become the primary option for India’s captaincy.
Stating the obvious, Gavaskar said, “Having won the Indian Premier League on his first assignment as the captain, they would have marked Hardik Pandya out as the next captain. Hardik Pandya will definitely take over the team in the future.”
“And there will be some retirements, you never know. Players will be giving it a lot of thought. There are several players in their mid-30s who will be reconsidering their position in the Indian T20I team,” Gavaskar added in his statement post India’s T20 World Cup defeat in the semi-final against England.
