"There is a lot of time..” Hardik Pandya plays down possibility of becoming next India T20I captain

Hardik Pandya registered bowling figures of 3/20 in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final.

Hardik Pandya has played down his chances of becoming the next India T20I captain and instead wished Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli all the best as the duo retired from the format after India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win in Barbados on Saturday.

India won the final of the tournament against South Africa at the Kensington Oval by seven runs and ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.

While the World Test Championship cycle continues with the final next year at Lord’s, 2025 will also see the Champions Trophy in the ODI format before shifting focus to the T20 World Cup in 2026. This means, India will have many chances of adding more ICC trophies to their cabinet.

While India will be least concerned about the two lengthier forms, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still active, the modern-day legends declared their retirement from T20I cricket on Saturday following their World Cup final victory over South Africa in Barbados.

As a result, the most pressing question will be who will lead India in the future in T20Is.

Hardik Pandya opines on him becoming the next India T20I captain

One of the prime candidates to take over the T20I captaincy reigns will be Hardik Pandya. He has led India in bilateral series when Rohit Sharma was absent in 2022 and 2023. He has led the Gujarat Titans successfully in the IPL, winning the title in 2022 and reaching the final in 2023.

On Saturday, after India’s seven-run victory at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Hardik was asked about being a potential replacement for Rohit, with the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind.

However, the all-rounder played down the possibility and said: “There is a lot of time for 2026. I am very happy for both Rohit and Virat…two giants and legends of Indian cricket thoroughly deserved this. It has been so amazing playing with them for so many years. We all will miss them but at the same point, this is the best farewell we can give them.”

Meanwhile, India will next play Zimbabwe in a series of 5 T20Is and Shubman Gill will captain the team on that tour.

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