Sanjay Bangar Says Hardik Pandya Faces ‘Injustice’ as Suryakumar Yadav Named T20I Captain for Sri Lanka Tour
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar believes that all-rounder Hardik Pandya has faced a ‘little injustice’ after Suryakumar Yadav was chosen as the T20I captain for India’s white-ball tour to Sri Lanka starting from July 27. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the T20I team, with Shubman Gill as the vice-captain for both T20I and ODI sides.
Hardik Pandya, who led India in 16 T20I matches with a win percentage of 62.50, has been removed from the leadership roles despite his strong performance in the T20 World Cup. He scored 144 runs in six innings and took 11 wickets in eight games during the tournament.
Bangar expressed his surprise at Hardik not being the captain, stating that it seemed like Hardik would have continued as captain if not for an injury and Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. He acknowledged Suryakumar’s experience in domestic cricket but still felt that Hardik deserved the role.
India’s tour of Sri Lanka will include a three-match T20I series starting on July 27 and a three-match ODI series starting on August 2. The T20I matches will be held at Pallekele International Stadium, while the ODIs will be at R Premadasa Stadium. Both teams will have new head coaches, with Sanath Jayasuriya for Sri Lanka and Gautam Gambhir for India.
T20I Squad for Sri Lanka Series:
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
ODI Squad for Sri Lanka Series:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
Doubts Revealed
Sanjay Bangar -: Sanjay Bangar is a former Indian cricketer who played for the Indian national team. He is now a cricket coach and commentator.
Hardik Pandya -: Hardik Pandya is an Indian cricketer known for his all-round abilities, meaning he can both bat and bowl well.
Suryakumar Yadav -: Suryakumar Yadav is an Indian cricketer who plays as a batsman. He has been named the captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
T20I -: T20I stands for Twenty20 International, a format of cricket where each team plays 20 overs. It is a shorter and faster version of the game.
Sri Lanka Tour -: The Sri Lanka Tour refers to the Indian cricket team’s visit to Sri Lanka to play matches. This tour includes both T20I and ODI series.
ODI -: ODI stands for One Day International, a format of cricket where each team plays 50 overs. It is longer than T20I but shorter than Test matches.
Sanath Jayasuriya -: Sanath Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who is now the head coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team.
Gautam Gambhir -: Gautam Gambhir is a former Indian cricketer who is now the head coach of the Indian cricket team for this tour.
Rohit Sharma -: Rohit Sharma is an Indian cricketer and the regular captain of the Indian cricket team in some formats. He is known for his excellent batting skills.