Team India’s selection for Sri Lanka tour is difficult, choosing a new captain is a big headache; not one but many contenders

New Delhi. After winning the T20 World Cup, a phase of change has begun in the Indian cricket team. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have said goodbye to the T20 format. This has made it clear that not only new players will get a chance in the Indian T20 team, but a new captain will also be selected. But the selectors have to not only choose the captain of the T20 team, but also clear the picture of the ODI team.

The Indian team is currently on a tour of Zimbabwe for the T20 series. For this tour, the captaincy of India has been handed over to Shubman Gill. Gill will have this responsibility till July 14 only. On this day, the fifth and last match of the series will be played between India and Zimbabwe. The Indian team will then go to Sri Lanka to play T20 and ODI series. T20 matches will be played between India and Sri Lanka on 27, 28 and 30 July. After this, ODI matches will be played on 2, 4 and 7 August.

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There are not many questions about the captaincy of the Indian T20 team. Hardik Pandya is most likely to be given the captaincy of this team. Pandya was the vice-captain in the T20 World Cup. That is why his/her claim is the strongest. Rishabh Pant, Jaspreet Bumrah and KL Rahul have also captained India in the T20 format before. But these three are behind Pandya in the race. For KL Rahul, even a comeback in the T20 team seems difficult. Bumrah can also be given rest in the T20 series.

It is not easy to choose the captain of the ODI team
The Indian team will play 3 ODIs after the T20 series against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may also be out of the ODI series. If this happens, the selectors will have to choose a new captain in place of Rohit, which will not be easy. There are two reasons for this. First, if the BCCI chooses the captain thinking that he/she has to handle this responsibility in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Then he/she will choose the captain for the short term, not the long term. In such a situation, Hardik Pandya can be the first choice. But if the BCCI chooses the captain keeping the long term in mind, then Pandya may face a challenge.

KL Rahul’s challenge increased after Pant’s arrival
Two major ICC ODI tournaments are to be held in 2025 and 2027. The ICC Champions Trophy is to be held in 2025, whose captaincy is sure to be in the hands of Rohit. After this, the ODI World Cup will be played in 2027. By then Rohit Sharma will be 40 years old. In such a situation, it is possible that the BCCI wants to go with a new captain in the next World Cup. If this happens, it will have to do long-term planning and choose a captain who not only fits in the ODI team but also plays Tests. If this happens, some other name can be considered in place of Hardik Pandya and Pant seems to be ahead in this. KL Rahul is also in this race, but after Pant’s arrival, he/she will first have to secure a place in the team.

The board will not want separate captains for ODI and Test teams
If we talk about Hardik Pandya, he/she does not play in the Test format due to fitness. If the Indian selectors choose him/her as the captain of the ODI team with a view to 2027, then it will mean that the captain of the Test team should be someone else. The experiment of having different captains in the Test and ODI teams has not been very successful. In such a situation, the board would not want to move forward in this direction.

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