Hardik Pandya is the most likely candidate to replace the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma as the Indian skipper in white-ball cricket. The Indian all-rounder has shown the potential to lead India in the limited opportunities for Men in Blue.
Pandya’s reputation as captain has grown in the last year or so after he led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their first-ever season. In the 2023 season too, he has done brilliantly to lead their team to the second consecutive final unities as a captain.
Hardik Pandya has been backed by several cricket experts and fans to become India’s full-time limited-overs captain once Rohit Sharma’s reign comes to an end. Here are five reasons why the Indian all-rounder might not be the perfect choice for India’s captaincy spot in the future.
1. Less Captaincy Experience In Domestic Circuit
The Sample size of Hardik Pandya as a captain is very small. The Indian all-rounder has led the Gujarat Titans in the last couple of years as led them to two consecutive finals in the cash-rich league, but have very less experience leading any domestic teams in India.
The 29-year-old had many resources in Gujarat Titans, with the experienced David Miller, Mohammed Shami, and Rashid Khan helping him out in the important decision makings in the side, as it would be difficult for him to lead the young Indian team going into the future.
2. Pressure On His Performance
Indian team would require Hardik Pandya as a player more than captain in the team. The Indian all-rounder would be a crucial player for the Men in Blue especially in the white ball Cricket. It would be the right decision to keep him fresh for the ICC events in the future.
The Indian all-rounder is one of the rare breeds of talent for the country as he can contribute to the team’s success with both bat and ball against high-quality opponents. The 29-year-old could be more lethal for the Indian team if can concentrate more on their own game rather than having the pressure of leading the team.
3. Not An All-format Player For India
The 29-year-old has not played Test cricket since the tour of England in 2018 owing to fitness issues. Hardik Pandya made his debut in Tests during the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2017 and became an important member of the team soon.
The all-rounder looked like an indispensable member of India’s Test team especially on the overseas tour before injuries derailed his Test career. He played his last red-ball game in 2018 against England following which he hasn’t tested himself in test cricket and it would be ideal to have an all-format player as captain for the Indian team going forward.
4. Work Load Management And Injury Concerns
Hardik Pandya has been rested for the Indian team citing workload management, as it takes a lot of energy to contribute to the Indian in all three departments of the game in White ball cricket and the Indian all-rounder also has injury concerns to him.
Hardik Pandya has battled injury issues and has been in and out of the side with injuries that have impacted his bowling ability, especially in terms of him bowling his full quota of overs in ODI Cricket. After the 2018 Asia Cup Hardik wasn’t able to bowl and had to take time away from cricket to recover from his back injury which could be a concern for the Indian team.
5. Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer May Pip Hardik Pandya To Take Up The Leadership Role
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are also seen as potential candidates for leadership positions in the Indian team, as they have experience leading teams in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League. Both players have been all-format players for the Indian team in the last couple of years, they would fancy chances to take up the role of Indian Captain after Rohit Sharma.
Rishabh Pant could be the right man to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s all-format captain shortly as he established himself as an indispensable member of the Indian team in all three formats. The Delhi batter has ample amount of experience in leading Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Shreyas Iyer has been a vital member of the Indian team in all three formats of the game in the last year, though injuries have curtailed his career and the KKR Skipper has shown tremendous capability given leadership roles in the domestic circuit and Indian Premier League. With age on his side, The Mumbai-born batter could well be a long-term prospect for the leadership of Team India.