3 reasons why Hardik Pandya should permanently replace Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the skipper for the upcoming three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka. The first match will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3.

Regular skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the series with a thumb injury, which he suffered while fielding in the second ODI against Bangladesh earlier in the month. Although he hasn't attained full fitness yet, he will recover in time to be available for the ODIs.

Following a semi-final exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, the Indian think tank is planning to build a young team with the 2024 T20 World Cup in mind. The upcoming series against Sri Lanka is seen as the first step and Hardik, appointed as skipper, is a major stride towards building a T20I team for the future.

On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Hardik should permanently replace Rohit as India's T20I skipper.

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#3 Long-term plan

Rohit, who is currently 35 years old, is almost in the twilight of his T20I career, with the format demanding more and more with each passing day. Hence, sticking with him as the skipper makes very little sense with the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place again in two years' time.

Hardik, who is full of youth and exuberance, looks like a more viable option as he has almost five to seven years of cricket left in him.

With the 29-year-old at the helm, the management could build a young squad for the next decade as they look to end their trophy drought in ICC events.

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#2 Hardik Pandya is already tested as a leader

Until May 2022, not many were aware of Hardik's leadership abilities. However, he stunned everyone by guiding Gujarat Titans (GT) side to the IPL 2022 title in their debut season. He thrives under pressure and the added responsibility brings out the best in him.

He was immediately touted as India's next white-ball captain. Six months later, he has officially been appointed as vice-captain in white-ball formats in place of KL Rahul.

The Baroda-born cricketer has already led the Men in Blue on five occasions, winning four of those, while one game ended in a tie. Hence, Hardik is a tested option and knows how to bring the best out of young cricketers.

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#1 Doesn't play Test cricket regularly

With the growing demands of T20 cricket and the emergence of T20 leagues all over the world, it is almost impossible to play all three formats of the game and sustain for a long time.

Hardik, who doesn't play Test cricket regularly, can easily sustain himself for a longer period. Hence can build a side of his own that will serve Indian cricket for the next five to six years.

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