The choice was introduced late on Thursday when the selectors revealed the squads for India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which commences on July 27.Suryakumar, aged 33, will lead a squad of 15 gamers introduced for the three T20I matches to be held in Pallekele. Nevertheless, he has not been chosen for the following sequence of three ODIs.
Rohit, together with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, retired from T20 internationals following India’s World Cup victory final month. He’ll proceed to captain the ODI staff, which is ready to face Sri Lanka on August 2, 4, and seven on the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Regardless of being Rohit’s deputy throughout the T20 World Cup, the 30-year-old Hardik Pandya was missed for the captaincy function in favour of Suryakumar, who made his worldwide debut 5 years after the gifted all-rounder. Hardik was additionally not thought of for T20I vice-captaincy, which was given to opener Shubman Gill who led a younger squad on the tour of Zimbabwe.
A report within the Indian Specific newspaper mentioned, “suggestions acquired by the board was that gamers trusted Surya greater than Pandya and have been extra snug working beneath him”.
Pandya’s recurrent health points, such because the ankle drawback he suffered throughout the earlier 12 months’s ODI World Cup held in India, labored in opposition to his favour.
As per sources, the newly appointed coach, Gautam Gambhir, most well-liked a skipper with out damage worries and was impressed by Suryakumar’s understanding of the sport.
Suryakumar, a constant performer in T20 cricket, has revolutionized batting within the format. Regardless of making his India debut on the age of 30, he shortly turned the staff’s dependable middle-order batter within the shortest format.
His fearless strokeplay, together with his well-known lap shot behind the stumps, makes him a nightmare for bowlers, incomes him the fame of a “360 diploma” participant for his potential to hit throughout the bottom.
Within the T20 World Cup remaining in opposition to South Africa in Barbados final month, Suryakumar took a shocking catch on the boundary in a tense final over bowled by Pandya, serving to India safe an exciting victory.
Having beforehand captained Mumbai in home cricket, Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 T20I sequence win over Australia final 12 months and adopted it up with a 1-1 end in South Africa.
Pandya had a profitable World Cup marketing campaign with each bat and ball, however his journey has been difficult, particularly after changing Rohit because the captain of Mumbai Indians within the Indian Premier League.
He confronted criticism from Rohit’s followers, who booed him throughout varied venues, and Mumbai completed on the backside of the 10-team desk in IPL 2024.
On Thursday, Pandya introduced his separation from his spouse and Serbian mannequin Natasa Stankovic, including to his private struggles. The couple, who have been married for 4 years, will co-parent their son.
