The debate has been raging on ever since it emerged that India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar reportedly prefer Suryakumar Yadav to be the team's T20I captain instead of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The latter had always been touted as India's next skipper now that Rohit Sharma has retired from the format, having been vice-captain of the title-winning Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup and leading them in most T20I matches that India played last year.
Suryakumar was made captain of the T20I team after the 2023 World Cup last year, when Pandya was recovering from a freak injury he sustained while bowling against Bangladesh in the tournament. Pandya being made vice-captain in the T20 World Cup despite enduring a nightmarish first season as captain of the Mumbai Indians and the presence of Suryakumar in the team led to almost an acceptance among fans and commentators that the all-rounder has been earmarked to lead the team once Rohit retires.
However, with the end of the T20 World Cup came the end of Rahul Dravid's tenure as head coach as well. The BCCI announced Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach a few days later and his reported preference for Suryakumar has suddenly opened up a debate as to who should captain India in the shortest format. The answers will probably come whenever the selectors announced India's squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka. Here, we take a look at how the two star players have done as captain in T20Is:
Hardik Pandya: Captained in 16 T20Is; Won: 10, Lost: 5, Tied: 1
Pandya has captained India in 16 T20Is between June 26, 2022 and August 13, 2023. He won 10 of those matches and lost five. He was also captain during a remarkable tied T20I against New Zealand in Napier. India had managed to get to the DLS par score of 75 before rain forced the players back in the hut. No more play was possible which meant that the match was declared a tie with no tiebreakers played. It was just the third tied T20I and the first between two Test-playing countries.
Suryakumar Yadav: Captained in 8 T20Is; Won: 5, Lost: 2, No result: 1
{{/usCountry}}Pandya has captained India in 16 T20Is between June 26, 2022 and August 13, 2023. He won 10 of those matches and lost five. He was also captain during a remarkable tied T20I against New Zealand in Napier. India had managed to get to the DLS par score of 75 before rain forced the players back in the hut. No more play was possible which meant that the match was declared a tie with no tiebreakers played. It was just the third tied T20I and the first between two Test-playing countries.
Suryakumar Yadav: Captained in 8 T20Is; Won: 5, Lost: 2, No result: 1
{{/usCountry}}Suryakumar Yadav's first assignment as T20I captain was a home series against Australia. One was a home series against Australia from November 23 to December 3 last year. He then captained India in their three-match T20I series in South Africa, the first of which was washed out. SKY was then forced out for a lengthy period due to an injury he sustained while fielding in the third T20I. Suryakumar has hence captained India in seven T20Is in two series.