With Team India set to tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series later this month, former selector Saba Karim has joined the debate regarding the team’s new T20I captain. India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs against Sri Lanka. While India captain Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement after the T20 World Cup triumph, it is highly likely that the veteran batter will be rested for the six-game tour. However, the BCCI is yet to announce the squad for series, and also the captain(s) for the T20I and ODI rubbers.

Amid the ongoing discussion regarding India’s next T20I captain, Karim feels Hardik Pandya should be natural replacement of Rohit, having also led the team in the past in his absence.

“The first thing that needs to be decided is who will captain in T20Is. Rohit Sharma has retired, he won’t play T20Is. So you will have a new captain. I feel there are two contenders. If we see logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain because he was the vice-captain in the winning World Cup campaign. He also captained India in the past. I feel the preparation now should be for the next T20 World Cup which is going to happen after two years,” Karim told Sony Sports.

Karim also made a surprise recommendation in Suryakumar Yadav, who led India last year against Australia during a home T20I series.

“I feel the discussion should be about SKY because Suryakumar Yadav captained India in the home series against Australia. India defeated Australia there and he also batted well. So he can definitely come forward as an option. If the selectors feel Hardik Pandya has played a fantastic role and can do the same as a captain as well, he can definitely be the ideal candidate. So I feel these are the two contenders,” he added.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill led a young Indian team in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which concluded on Sunday with the visitors claiming the series 4-1.

After losing the series-opener, Gill and his boys outplayed the hosts in the remaining matches.

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been impressive for the Indian cricket team as they comprehensively defeated Zimbabwe in the recently concluded T20I series. Both batters looked in tremendous form and with India facing Sri Lanka next in 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, former chief selector Saba Karim urged the team management to pick both of them as opening options. Karim also asked team management led by new head coach Gautam Gambhir to also give a chance to Abhishek Sharma considering the fact that Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav are expected to bat No. 3 and No. 4.

“The most important positions will be in the top order only. I feel the selectors should go with these two (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill) only. I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place at least in the 15 because you have Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4,” Karim told Sony Sports.

This will be the first assignment for head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team is also expected to have a new captain with Hardik Pandya not in the fray in the aftermath of the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

“It also depends on who is the captain in T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what is the thinking of the captain and head coach, and how they want to take the team forward. They will have to select players accordingly. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So many players are staking a claim in the top order,” he added.

India’s second-string touring team beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs in the fifth Twenty 20 international at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday to complete a 4-1 series win.

India captain Shubman Gill said his team, which included only three of the squad that won the T20 World Cup last month, had adapted well to conditions after losing the opening match.

“It was an excellent series,” said Gill. “The hunger that we showed after the first loss was phenomenal. A lot of the players had long flights and they weren’t used to conditions. The way they adapted was remarkable.”

(With AFP inputs)