Pragyan Ojha opines on Suryakumar Yadav becoming India T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya

Pragyan Ojha believes Hardik Pandya will still remain a core member of the Indian cricket team.

Former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha has expressed his thoughts regarding the Indian selectors’ decision to choose Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya ahead of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting from July 27 to July 30.

India’s first major assignment after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will be an away white-ball tour against Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue will play three T20Is and as many ODIs from July 27 to August 7. This also marks a new era of Indian cricket under the newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who took the reins from Rahul Dravid.

The vision and the expectation and the team’s dynamics change: Pragyan Ojha

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was India’s vice-captain at the T20 World Cup 2024 and played a huge role in helping his side lift the trophy. Pandya was expected to take over the T20I leadership after Rohit Sharma retired from the shortest format.

But, surprisingly, the BCCI selectors named star batter Suryakumar as the new T20I skipper of the Indian cricket team. The selection committee didn’t name Pandya even as the vice-captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Under Hardik’s leadership, India has played 16 matches and won 10 of them in the shortest format. Suryakumar has captained India seven times and won five matches in T20Is.

Speaking with Khel Now, in an interaction organized by Sony Sports Network, the official broadcasters of India’s tour of Sri Lanka, former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha opened up about Yadav becoming the new T20I skipper instead of Hardik.

Pragyan explained that although Indian selectors went with Surya as the new T20I skipper, Hardik will remain a member of the leadership group.

“Because when the captain consistently changes, then the vision and the expectation and the team’s dynamics change. So that is the reason why I would say that they went on with Suryakumar Yadav. But I still believe that Hardik Pandya will remain part of the leadership group and a very important core member of the team,” Ojha said.

India’s tour of Sri Lanka consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs will be played from 27th July to 7th August. It can be watched live on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 1 in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 in Hindi and Sony Sports Ten 4 channels in Tamil & Telugu. Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster for India’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024 in India.

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