Rohit Sharma to lose ODI captaincy to Hardik Pandya?

There may be churn in Indian cricket very soon.

The rumour mills are working overtime and there are whispers that there could be a change in captaincy.

If this happens, Rohit Sharma will lose out and Hardik Pandya is expected to gain.

The BCCI has been mulling over handing over the responsibility of India’s white-ball teams to Hardik Pandya.

As per sources, the board officials have discussed their idea with the Gujarat Titans captain.

In fact, former Indian cricketers like Maninder Singh have openly stated that Hardik Pandya should be named captain of India in both limited-overs formats.

Maninder said,” Hardik should be made the captain in both white-ball formats because we have seen a different transformation in him since he won the IPL title for the Gujarat Titans.”

“Actually, the transformation was visible right from the first match when he came to play in the IPL.”

The former Indian spinner said, “Probably Hardik Pandya knows how much talent he has but he was wasting it. But when he was made the captain, he probably realized that he can do something as his franchise thought about making him the captain.”

“BCCI should regularly keep talking to him, that he should keep his fitness levels so high, that the back injury he suffered does not come back again and he can serve the Indian team because you need such players who are entertainers.”

“When you give him the ball or when he goes out to bat, it is evident from his body language that he is going to do something.”

To be fair, Hardik Pandya’s recent record as a captain and player has been exceptional.

He was appointed as the captain of the Gujarat Titans though the all-rounder hadn’t played competitive cricket for 6 months before the IPL.

He defied expectations and made a brilliant start to his first captaincy in the IPL.

He scored 487 runs and took 8 wickets in 15 games.

Hardik has also won 4 of the 5 T20 matches he has captained India in.

Hardik was first given the opportunity to lead India’s T20I side in Ireland and he led the side to 2-0 win.

Hardik also led India in the final T20I of a 5-match series in the West Indies.

He recently led India to a 1-0 win in a 3-match T20I series in New Zealand.

Moreover, Rohit’s frequent breakdowns due to injury show that it’s advisable to reduce his workload so that his career can be extended.

Also, the T20 World Cup showed that the game has evolved and India needs a fresh approach in order to thrive.

So Hardik’s elevation may not be be bad idea, after all.