BCCI secretary hints Hardik Pandya as new captain

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah discussed the potential appointment of Hardik Pandya as the permanent captain of the Indian T20I team, succeeding Rohit Sharma. Following India's T20 World Cup victory, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20I cricket on Saturday. Previously, Hardik Pandya captained the team only in Rohit’s absence.

With Rohit Sharma no longer in the T20I squad, the BCCI is tasked with selecting a new full-time captain. Hardik Pandya is a strong candidate for the role, but Jay Shah emphasized that the final decision will be made after consultations with the selectors.

"The captain will be announced after consulting with the selectors. There were concerns about Hardik's form, but we and the selectors maintained our faith in him, and he ultimately validated that trust," stated Shah.

Following their T20 World Cup success, India will play a 5-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, starting on July 6 at the Harare Sports Club. With several key players absent, Shubman Gill has been named captain for this series. Gill, along with Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed, served as India’s traveling reserves during the World Cup.

• BCCI mulls over appointing Hardik Pandya as T20I captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement
• Rohit Sharma retires from T20I cricket post-World Cup victory, with Hardik Pandya in line as his successor
• Hardik Pandya is poised to become T20I captain as Shubman Gill leads against Zimbabwe