Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya, who will be India’s captain in the T20 World Cup 2024? The debate became a significant center point especially due to what has unfolded in recent months. Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians and replacing Rohit Sharma as the new MI captain added strong speculations about what Team India’s path will be over the captaincy for the June tournament. However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah seemingly has ended the suspense.
Speaking during the renaming function of the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Shah confirmed that Rohit is the all-format captain and all the selectors are aligned on the matter. He confirmed Rohit will be the captain for the tournament and Hardik will be his deputy. “At this point in time, Rohit is an all-format captain. It is a collective decision, and the selectors are fully aligned on the matter. Hardik Pandya will retain his position as vice-captain for the T20 World Cup. Consider if Hardik gets injured, as he did in the previous World Cup. In such a scenario, who should we entrust with the leadership responsibility,” Shah said at the function where the SCA Stadium was renamed as the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
He also highlighted Rohit’s century in the third and final T20I of the series against Afghanistan. “If you recall the Afghanistan T20I match, we were in a tough spot at 27 for four, but Rohit’s remarkable century turned the game around. We can’t question his abilities. Although we won ten consecutive games in the World Cup, we fell short in the final. It’s part and parcel of the game,” he added.
“I’ve not commented about the 2023 World Cup, the final of which we lost in Ahmedabad. I can assure you India will win the T20 World Cup in Barbados on June 30 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy,” Shah said.
For the unversed, Rohit Sharma recently returned to T20I action during India vs Afghanistan series, which was the last 20-over series for India ahead of the World Cup in June. He had not played the shortest International format for more than a year since India’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Since then, Hardik Pandya has been the captain of the T20I team in the games where he was fit. As he suffered an ankle injury in the ODI World Cup, Pandya missed out on the cricketing action and Suryakumar Yadav led the Men in Blue in two T20I series thereafter.
After the ODI World Cup 2023, the Indians have played three T20I series – one each against Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan. Only a handful of ODI WC-bound players played in the T20I series against Australia with a few more returning for the South Africa T20Is. However, Rohit and Virat Kohli made a return to the format for the Afghanistan series only.
