Hardik Pandya could lead India in Champions Trophy 2025: Report
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is said to be eyeing all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a potential successor to Rohit Sharma for the captaincy role in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
The development comes amid uncertainty over Sharma's future in Test cricket, after he decided to opt out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series decider against Australia in Sydney.
The speculation has led BCCI's selection committee to look for new leadership options.
Captaincy potential
Pandya's leadership skills and experience
Pandya has shown his leadership in high-pressure situations, making him a strong candidate for the role.
His experience as an all-rounder and leader in the last two years in white-ball formats only strengthens his case.
"Hardik has the knack for leading in high-pressure situations, and his experience as an all-rounder and leader makes him an ideal choice for an ICC tournament like the Champions Trophy," a source told MyKhel.
Succession prospects
Other potential successors and India's stance on split captaincy
While Suryakumar Yadav currently leads India's T20I team, his place in the ODI setup isn't secured yet, making it unlikely for him to be named as the captain in 50-over cricket.
Other potential Sharma successors are Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill.
However, Gill may need more time to mature into a leader, leaving Pandya as the most probable candidate for ODI leadership duties.
DYK
Pandya was India's vice-captain in white-ball cricket
Notably, Pandya was India's vice-captain in white-ball cricket till the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
As Sharma retired from T20Is after the tournament, Hardik seemed certain to succeed him.
However, his fitness issues made the selectors go with SKY.
Moreover, Shubman Gill replaced him as the vice-captain of the ODI and T20I sides.