Before Hardik Pandya was formally introduced as India’s future white-ball captain, it was just a matter of time. Whether it was just for the Sri Lanka series is unclear, but it has been verified that he has surpassed KL Rahul in the captaincy competition. The selectors decided it was the ideal time to name him the T20I captain in Rohit Sharma’s absence. For the ODI series, the all-rounder has named Rohit’s replacement. Up until the most recent series in Bangladesh, Rahul was the designated vice-captain for India. In the most recent ODI, he really led India without Rohit.
Though Hardik had already guided India to victories in Ireland and New Zealand, the IPL 2022 season was the turning point for his leadership abilities. He quit the Mumbai Indians and was named captain of the Gujarat Titans, a brand-new team. Hardik excelled with both the bat and the ball and guided GT to the championship on the first try. His leadership graph has continued to rise ever since. Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian batter, claimed that few people anticipated Hardik becoming as successful as a captain in the IPL.
“We were all taken by surprise. Come on, who thought Hardik Pandya would be such a raging success in the IPL as a captain? In a long season, just the way he handles the team. Just how he looked as a leader was surprising. Considering he is bowling now and the impact he is making on the field, this is the right time to reward Hardik with leadership,” Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo. Manjreker further added that KL Rahu’s dip in form played a major role in the right-hander losing the vice-captaincy.
“KL Rahul’s form is starting to make his situation a little tricky. He didn’t have a great T20 World Cup, looked out of sorts in the Test series against Bangladesh,” Manjrekar said. Beginning on January 3, Hardik will captain a young Indian team in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. With Hardik as the new captain, many people think that this marks the start of India’s preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
