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Cricket PlayersHardik Pandya reacts to being Rohit Sharma's potential captaincy successor for 2026 T20WC after India great's retirement
Hardik Pandya to replace Rohit Sharma as T20I captain? All-rounder reacted after India great's retirement post the World Cup win in Barbados
The celebrations will eventually subside, and India, despite having waited for 11 longs years for the big moment, will have to move on in a bid to extend their domination in world cricket. While the World Test Championship cycle continues with the final next year at the Lord's, 2025 will also witness the Champions Trophy in the ODI format, before the focus shifts to the T20 World Cup once again for the year 2026. While India will be least concerned about the two longer formats, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still around, the modern-day legends announced their retirement from the T20I format on Saturday after the World Cup win against South Africa in Barbados. Hence, the question that will most likely arise is who will next lead India.
The selectors will have a few options to chose from - Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill. But the all-rounder is likely to emerge as the favourite, having led India in bilateral contests through the course of 2022 and 2023, especially after his success at Gujarat Titans in both those years in the Indian Premier League as the captain.
On Saturday, after India's seven-run win at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Hardik was asked about being the potential replacement for Rohit keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind, but the Mumbai Indians skipper chose to remain tight-lipped on the possibility and rather spoke about the incumbent India skipper and Kohli.
"There is a lot of time for 2026. I am very happy for both Rohit and Virat...two giants and legends of Indian cricket thoroughly deserved this. It has been so amazing playing with them for so many years. We all will miss them but at the same point, this is the best farewell we can give them...," he said.
India's first assignment post-T20 World Cup will be a three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, starting July 5. Shivam Dube will be the only member of the present World Cup squad to participate in the tour, and Gill will lead the Indian side.
Hardik might return for the three-match T20Is against Sri Lanka later in July before the regular ODI side will take on the Islanders in a three-match contest in August in preparations for the Champions Trophy.
