Hardik Pandya Poised to Lead Indian T20 Team as Rohit Sharma Retires, KL Rahul to Captain ODIs
With Rohit Sharma's retirement from T20Is post-ICC T20 World Cup victory, Hardik Pandya is expected to take over as the T20 captain. KL Rahul, despite an impressive ODI World Cup performance, was excluded from the T20 WC squad. Gautam Gambhir is appointed as the new head coach of the Indian team.
- Country:
- India
In a major reshuffling of Indian cricket leadership, Hardik Pandya is set to captain the national T20 team following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format after the ICC T20 World Cup win. Sources from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Pandya will not be rested for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
During the T20 World Cup, Pandya hit 144 runs in six innings, averaging 48.00 with a strike rate of 151.57. His bowling stats include 11 wickets in eight matches, with an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.64. This performance marks a significant comeback for Pandya, who faced criticism and online trolling after taking over Mumbai Indians' captaincy from Rohit Sharma during IPL 2024.
Amid these changes, KL Rahul, despite being left out of the T20 World Cup squad, will lead the team in ODIs. Rahul's impressive statistics from the ODI World Cup 2023 held in India include 386 runs in nine innings, with an average of 77.20. His partnership with Virat Kohli against Australia was pivotal in India's historic win in Chennai.
In another significant development, former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. Announcing Gambhir's appointment, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah expressed his confidence in Gambhir's ability to lead Indian cricket into a new era.
Shah praised Gambhir's extensive experience and vision, stating that he is well-suited to the evolving landscape of modern cricket. This change follows the conclusion of Rahul Dravid's tenure, which ended after India's triumph over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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