Suryakumar, not Hardik, set to lead India in T20I leg of Sri Lanka tour

Suryakumar Yadav is set to be appointed India's new T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya, the incumbent vice-captain of the side, for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar will take over from Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, after leading India to T20 World Cup glory in the Caribbean last month.

Though Hardik was Rohit's deputy at the T20 World Cup and is a more experienced captain - he has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, apart from leading Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL - it is understood fitness concerns and workload management may have tipped the scales against him.

Hardik had suffered an ankle injury during the 50-over World Cup at home last October-November and was out of action until the start of IPL 2024, when he returned to lead Mumbai. Hardik has featured in just 46 of the 79 T20Is India have played since the start of 2022.

Suryakumar, meanwhile, has previously captained Mumbai in the domestic circuit. More recently, he led India to a 4-1 series win over Australia in the T20I series last November, followed by a 1-1 series scoreline in South Africa. Suryakumar is also among the first names in a first-choice India XI in the format.

The T20Is in Sri Lanka will be India's first assignment under new coach Gautam Gambhir, who takes over from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup. It's also seen as the first step towards building for the next T20 World Cup which India is set to co-host in 2026.

A young Indian squad, led by Shubman Gill, just returned from Zimbabwe earlier in the week after completing a 4-1 T20I series win. The squad included just three players from the side that won the World Cup.

It is understood that the selectors will meet on Wednesday to finalise the touring party. Along with three T20Is, the tour will feature three ODIs.