Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder for the India National Cricket Team, could return as captain for white-ball cricket. According to reports from Dainik Jagran, his chance to lead again will depend on how the team performs in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Hardik Pandya’s Potential Return as Captain for White-Ball Cricket
The reports suggest that Hardik Pandya could return as captain if Rohit Sharma struggles with his batting and doesn’t win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as captain. In that case, Rohit would be sidelined, and Pandya would take over the leadership.
Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain for India in the T20 World Cup 2024, was expected to take over as the captain for T20Is. However, in a surprising change, he was removed from the leadership group, and Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as the new captain instead.
The decision to remove Hardik Pandya from the captaincy role was made to avoid putting extra pressure on him due to his injury concerns. However, reports in Dainik Jagran suggest that some key figures in the BCCI, including Gautam Gambhir, believe Hardik was treated unfairly.
They are supporting his return as the T20I captain, arguing that his fitness was cited as the reason for not giving him the role, despite his strong performances. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav, who was appointed as captain, has struggled with his batting since taking over the leadership.
Reports say that the futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be reviewed after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. If they don’t perform well in the tournament, their positions could be at risk.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Future Under Review After ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The BCCI has given full authority to head coach Gautam Gambhir and selectors led by Ajit Agarkar to make decisions for the team’s betterment. Virat Kohli’s future in Test cricket may also be discussed based on his performance.
If Virat Kohli doesn’t improve his performance, just like Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and selector chairman Ajit Agarkar will have a tough decision to make. If they don’t perform well, they won’t be part of the squad for the Test series in England.
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“The time has come to move forward. Did you see the performance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy? Their performance in the Ranji Trophy? The next two series will be crucial,” a source was quoted saying.
Both Rohit and Kohli returned to play in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, but neither of them did well. Rohit scored 3 and 28, while Kohli only managed 6 runs in the one innings he played.
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