Ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, the Mumbai Indians have made a significant decision by naming Hardik Pandya as the captain for the upcoming season, taking over from Rohit Sharma, the five-time champions’ former captain.
Recently, Pandya made headlines after being traded from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians for a whopping INR 15 Crore, along with an undisclosed transfer fee. Following his appointment as the captain of Mumbai Indians, there have been widespread rumors suggesting that he might also lead the Indian team in the T20 World Cup 2024 instead of Sharma.
However, as per reports, a BCCI official has dismissed these claims, stating that the decisions of an IPL franchise will not influence the captaincy choices made by the team management. It’s worth noting that Sharma has been out of the T20I scene since India’s disappointing 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022.
In a recent meeting held in Delhi, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Rahul Dravid discussed team strategies with Rohit Sharma. During the meeting, Sharma reportedly conveyed his desire to be officially appointed as India’s captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup. According to a report, a BCCI source mentioned that if both Sharma and Pandya are included in the squad, the board is inclined to name Sharma as the captain.
Since the T20 World Cup 2022, Hardik Pandya has been leading the T20I side in the absence of senior players Sharma and Kohli, who have not been actively participating in the shortest format. However, due to Pandya’s recent unavailability due to an ankle injury, Suryakumar Yadav took charge and led the team against Australia and South Africa in the last two series.
Meanwhile, there’s a suggestion from some experts to field a team of young players exclusively in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, sidelining Sharma and Kohli. It’s worth noting that the Indian skipper has been a part of every T20 World Cup edition since its inception in 2007. Additionally, Kohli holds the record for the highest run-scorer in both T20I World Cups and T20Is overall. Opting to bench these seasoned players would be a significant decision for India as they strive to break their decade-long drought in ICC Trophy victories.
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