Virender Sehwag backs this player over Hardik Pandya to become next India T20I captain

Hardik Pandya was the vice-captain of Indian team in T20 World Cup 2024.

Virender Sehwag revealed his choice of player who should be the next India T20I captain after Rohit Sharma and it is not vice-captain Hardik Pandya. This comes after India won the T20 World Cup 2024 and Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format, along with Virat Kohli.

India defeated South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on Saturday. It was a tightly fought match, which saw India batting first and posting 176/7 in 20 overs. Virat Kohli made 76, Axar Patel made 47 and the duo added 72 runs for the 4th wicket.

In reply, Heinrich Klaasen made 52 and with Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs scoring valuable runs, the Proteas needed 30 runs in the last 30 balls. But India pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, along with Arshdeep Singh, pulled the game back for India as South Africa only made 168/8 and lost the game by 7 runs.

Virender Sehwag backs Shubman Gill to become next India T20I captain over Hardik Pandya

Former India batter Virender Sehwag has backed the team management’s decision to appoint youngster Shubman Gill as captain for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. Gill will lead an inexperienced squad against Zimbabwe.

India will play five T20Is against Zimbabwe in Harare starting July 6. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is, and several senior players, who played in the T20 World Cup being rested, India will field a team of IPL stars.

The players being rested also include Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, who previously captained India in T20Is. This left BCCI with the option of naming a new captain and they went with Shubman Gill.

Shubman Gill recently captained Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 and the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Sharing his views on Gill’s appointment as captain, Sehwag suggested that the youngster is the prime candidate to take up the mantle permanently whenever Rohit steps down.

“Shubman Gill is for the long haul. He’s a player who plays all three formats. He’s had a great last year. He was unlucky to miss out on the 2024 T20 World Cup. According to me, it is the right decision to make him the captain. When Rohit Sharma leaves tomorrow, Shubman Gill will be his right replacement for captaincy,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

The squad includes only three players from the main T20 World Cup squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson. The remaining T20 World Cup squad members have been rested.

The team now includes Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed, all of whom were on the T20 World Cup touring party’s reserves list.

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