16 july 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : Hardik Pandya is all set to lead India in the three T20Is vs Sri Lanka but the premier all-rounder will miss the ODIs due to personal reasons. It is learnt that the 30-year-old is completely fit and has already informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding his availability for the Sri Lanka series.
“Hardik Pandya has already informed the Indian cricket board about his availability for the Sri Lanka series and he will be returning home after playing the three T20Is. There are no injury concerns whatsoever and he is completely fit. He wanted the leave due to personal reasons and has been granted the same,” says a source tracking developments.
Pandya played a key role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign and made crucial contributions with both bat and ball. The seamer picked crucial wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, and remained very calm while bowling the crucial final over. In India’s eight games, he bowled 25 overs without any discomfort and has been in top shape since the freak injury in the 2023 World Cup contest vs Bangladesh.
“There have been no injury concerns since that freak injury in the World Cup. He has played the complete season of the IPL without any discomfort and was in top shape during the T20 World Cup. That’s nearly three months of non-stop cricket,” adds the source.
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The all-rounder was Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup and is all set to permanently wear the captaincy armband in the shortest format. It is understood that everyone in the Indian cricket board is on the same page as far as Pandya the T20I captain is concerned and there have been no discussions around exploring other options. At this stage, Suryakumar Yadav is not in contention for captaincy in any format and the selectors haven’t had any discussions on that yet.
“Pandya is going to lead India in T20Is. Pandya was Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup and prior to that, when Rohit was on a break from international T20Is, he was leading the side. The selectors haven’t had any discussions on that and it was more of a no-brainer. No discussions have happened as far as Suryakumar Yadav is concerned and he is certainly not in the mix for captaincy in any format at this stage,” says a well-placed source.
India play three T20Is and three ODIs vs Sri Lanka before action shifts to the home season which gets underway with the Test series vs Bangladesh. The Sri Lanka tour will be Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
