Hardik Pandya in action© AFP
India skipper Rohit Sharma‘s decision to skip the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney raised many questions on his future in the longest format. In the final match of the five-match series, star Jasprit Bumrah was named as the stand-in skipper of India. Earlier in the opening Test in Perth, India won by 10 wickets under the captaincy of Bumrah. In the ongoing series, Rohit struggled to get runs as he scored only 31 runs in five innings. As there no certainty regarding his future in Tests, a new report also suggested Rohit’s captaincy snub from the upcoming Champions Trophy.
A sources told MyKhel that the team management is currently looking at Hardik Pandya as India’s captain for the Champions Trophy, which will kick-start from February 19.
“Hardik has the knack for leading in high-pressure situations, and his experience as an all-rounder and leader makes him an ideal choice for an ICC tournament like the Champions Trophy,” a source told MyKhel.
As Rohit has already retired from the T20Is after India’s victory at the World Cup in June 2024, the management is likely to take these steps to ease Rohit’s burden.
The report also stated that Hardik is the strongest contender to lead India in the upcoming ICC event as T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has not been convincing enough in the ODIs and batter Shubman Gill needs to show some maturity.
“Gill needs more grooming to mature into a leader, and SKY’s ODI performances haven’t been convincing enough. Hardik remains the most balanced option to lead India in ODIs if Rohit is unavailable,” the source added.
Champions Trophy 2025 will begin from February 19 in a Hybrid Model. Co-hosts Pakistan will be taking on New Zealand in the opening match in Karachi. Team India will taking on Bangladesh in their first game in Dubai on February 20.
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