Who will be India's next white-ball captain? Kapil Dev opines
What's the story
Kapil Dev, the legendary all-rounder, believes Hardik Pandya should take over as India's next white-ball captain.
This comes despite Rohit Sharma's recent achievements with the side in ICC events.
Speaking to MyKhel at a PGTI pro-am event in Greater Noida, Dev said, "To me, Hardik Pandya is my white ball captain. There are many contenders for the post but Pandya is my choice."
Future captaincy
Pandya's youth and potential for future ICC events
Dev emphasized Pandya's youth as a major reason behind his selection.
He feels the young cricketer can help build a strong team for future ICC events.
"Pandya is relatively young and can build a team around him for the next ICC events," Dev added, stressing on Pandya's ability to lead India in future tournaments.
Leadership roles
Leadership journey in international cricket
Notably, Pandya earlier served as vice-captain of India's ODI and T20I sides.
However, with Gautam Gambhir's appointment, Pandya hasn't held an official leadership role due to fitness and availability concerns.
Suryakumar Yadav is now India's permanent T20I skipper while Shubman Gill is the vice-captain for ODIs.
Dev suggested "India will need multiple captains for three formats" if Hardik doesn't play Test cricket.
IPL captaincy
Pandya's mixed results as captain in IPL
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pandya's captaincy record has been a mixed bag. He took Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title and to the runner-up position once in his two seasons with the team.
However, his time with Mumbai Indians has been less than stellar, with the team finishing at the bottom of the league under his leadership in 2024.
Despite these setbacks, Dev's endorsement suggests optimism about Pandya's future leadership roles in international cricket.