Mumbai: India’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma is set to return to action with the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting on August 2. These being part of only six ODIs India play before next year’s Champions Trophy, it was decided that Rohit should not give the series a miss. Also because this allows new head coach Gautam Gambhir to team up with Rohit and put plans in motion for next year’s marquee event.

Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli who are on a break, will not feature in the series. Most of the players who were in last year’s ODI World Cup squad will make it except Ishan Kishan, who is set to be replaced by Rishabh Pant. Shreyas Iyer, despite losing his national contract for missing domestic cricket, is expected to make the squad. Iyer was captain of the 2024 IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom Gambhir was the team mentor.

Captaincy tussle

A shift in the T20I pecking order could be in the offing with ICC’s No.1 ranked batter Suryakumar Yadav, and not Hardik Pandya, emerging as the favourite to take over the leadership from Rohit, now retired from the shortest format. That’s if the opinion of the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Gambhir prevails at Thursday evening’s selection meet – it was put off by a day – that is to be conducted virtually.

The build-up has been anything but smooth following a stormy informal call among the selectors on Tuesday where Gambhir was also involved. The selection committee is known to be split with some for Hardik to be appointed skipper by virtue of him being the World Cup-winning vice-captain. It was also reasoned that Hardik’s personal performances were redeeming in the World Cup after he endured a poor IPL.

The big concern around Hardik, 30, remains his injury-ridden record. “Although Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call, he made it amply clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a stumbling block. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official said.

Hardik remains unavailable for the ODI leg of the series for ‘personal reasons’. There are also those who remain unconvinced about Hardik’s tactical nous. Hardik was spoken to by the selectors on Tuesday of them looking past him for captainship and encouraged to be the best version of his all-round self in T20 and ODIs.

Hardik though has some backing within BCCI with him being one of the few senior players to be sounded out that Gambhir would take over as head coach from Rahul Dravid. The understanding within the BCCI establishment was that the selectors would vote for Hardik as the successor to Rohit. Surya’s name though has been pitched over Hardik’s as vice-captain in selection meets before, when the all-rounder was struggling for form and fitness. Bumrah’s all-format potency virtually rules him out of the leadership race, for his workload would have to be constantly managed.

Surya has previously played for KKR under Gambhir’s captaincy. That was when he wasn’t the premier T20 batter he now is; instead, a dynamic finisher playing a more limited role. Gambhir has spoken in past interviews of it being a ‘regret’ that he couldn’t use Surya to his true potential.

As a captain though Surya has limited experience, having led India in only seven T20Is, and never in IPL. Also, the 360-degree batter will turn 35 in a couple of months. Thus, even if he becomes captain, there may be no commitment of his being a long-term appointment.

Cooley stop-gap bowling coach

Gambhir is likely to head to Sri Lanka with NCA coaches if his support staff cannot be finalised before July 22 when the team leaves for Colombo. From the five names, he has suggested to the board, only Abhishek Nayyar’s is likely to approved as assistant coach. Highly regarded former Australian and NCA coach Troy Cooley could be asked to go as a stop-gap bowling coach.

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