Gautam Gambhir didn’t pitch for Suryakumar Yadav’s name for T20I captaincy but he kept one condition

The transition of India‘s T20I captaincy has been unexpectedly turbulent. The BCCI has yet to officially announce Rohit Sharma‘s successor, despite his retirement from the format following India’s T20 World Cup triumph, which ended their 13-year drought for an ICC title. Unconfirmed reports suggest the delay is due to a split decision among board officials, new head coach Gautam Gambhir, and the selection committee.

On Tuesday evening, Gambhir participated in an informal call with BCCI officials and the selection committee to discuss the road ahead. During that call, Gambhir and Agarkar proposed Surya as a potential candidate to replace Rohit as the T20I captain.

While Gambhir did not explicitly name Suryakumar Yadav, he stated a preference for a captain whose workload is not a concern. This was a logical choice, given that Suryakumar is a white-ball specialist and the best batter in the format after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s eventual retirement.

“During the call, Gambhir did not openly mention Surya’s name, but he made it clear that he would prefer to work with a captain whose workload does not become an issue. Additionally, Agarkar expressed his views candidly,” stated a BCCI source.

Despite Hardik Pandya‘s strong performance as vice-captain in the World Cup victory, the selection committee remains divided on whether to appoint him as the team’s new skipper. Some members argue that his impressive World Cup showing redeemed his earlier poor IPL form, and he deserves the captaincy.

The star all-rounder’s persistent injury issues remain a significant concern. He was sidelined for almost six months after sustaining an ankle injury during the early rounds of last year’s ODI World Cup.

After the meeting on Tuesday, Gambhir and Agarwal briefed Hardik on the latest developments.

Surya and Gambhir have a long-standing relationship, as Gambhir was the one who discovered Surya at KKR and entrusted him with the finisher’s role in their star-studded lineup. However, Surya’s captaincy experience is limited, having led India in just seven T20Is and never in the IPL. Additionally, the 360-degree batter will turn 34 in the coming months, which may raise questions about his long-term viability as a captain, should he be appointed to that role.

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