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Hardik Pandya (Source-X)
According to the news it is learned that Hardik Pandya is set to give the ODI series versus Sri Lanka a miss. The 30-year-old last played an ODI for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup before getting injured.
The reports go on to state that Hardik Pandya is set to miss the ODI series due to unspecified personal issues. It is to be noted that there are certain reports stating that Hardik Pandya will be given the captaincy for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Also Read: Were the divorce rumours between Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic true?
Hardik Pandya played a huge role in India’s T20 World Cup. After a tumultuous six months, the 30-year-old had won the love of the fans due to his heroics in the final with the ball. Mumbai fans gave him a warm welcome after he was booed by the fans during the IPL 2024 season.
Saba Karim backs Hardik Pandya for T20I Captaincy
After the retirement of Rohit Sharma from T20I cricket, there are speculations about the next skipper. Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant are some of the names. But according to former Indian selector Saba Karim, Hardik Pandya is the favourite for the job.
During a chat with Sony Sports, Saba Karim said “The first thing that needs to be decided is who will captain in T20Is, Rohit Sharma has retired, he won’t play T20Is. So you will have a new captain. I feel there are two contenders. If we see logically, Hardik Pandya should become the captain because he was the vice-captain in the winning World Cup campaign. He also captained India in the past. I feel the preparation now should be for the next T20 World Cup which is going to happen after two years”
Saba Karim also said “I feel the discussion should be about SKY because Suryakumar Yadav captained India in the home series against Australia. India defeated Australia there and he also batted well. So he can definitely come forward as an option. If the selectors feel Hardik Pandya has played a fantastic role and can do the same as a captain as well, he can definitely be the ideal candidate. So I feel these are the two contenders”