Hardik Pandya unlikely to lead India in T20I series against Ireland, middle-order batter set to become captain

After the conclusion of India’s tour of the West Indies, the Men in Blue will travel to Ireland for a 3-match T20I series. It is expected that most of the senior players will be rested for the series. The players who are expected to be a part of the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup are also likely to be rested.

If that happens, it’s clear that players like Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill won’t be part of the team against Ireland. And it will be a big question about who will lead the team in the absence of Hardik and Rohit Sharma. Hardik is one of India’s star all-rounders, and he has been leading the team in the shortest format quite for a while now. However, there are some reports which have come to the fore from the Indian Cricket Board sources, which say that it will depend on Hardik.

“Nothing is finalised yet and it will also depend on how Hardik is feeling after the one-dayers and T20s in the West Indies. There is travelling involved and only a short turnaround of three days before one flies from Florida to Dublin. With World Cup being of primary importance, one has to factor in his workload. Let’s not forget he will be Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup,” an Indian cricket board source was quoted as saying by Zee News.

This star batter is set to lead India

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s one of the best middle-order batters, is anticipated to captain the Indian squad. In Hardik’s presence, Suryakumar has led the team as vice-captain. As the top-ranked T20I batter in the world who has demonstrated remarkable talent and form, Suryakumar is a strong contender for the captaincy. 

Other talented young batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudarshan, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, and Washington Sundar might land a spot in the team alongside him. For the forthcoming Ireland trip, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are likely candidates as wicketkeeper-batter.