Suryakumar Yadav is set to be elevated as Team India’s T20 captain, in place of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, for the upcoming tour of  Sri Lanka.

Team India’s top-ranked T20 batter will replace Rohit Sharma in the position after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, as per a report in espncricinfo. It is understood that Hardik was the first-choice to replace Rohit in the role but due to his recurring fitness issues he has considered against the position.

Yadav will lead a young squad for the upcoming series after the retirement of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It will include the likes of the premier India opener Shubman Gill who recently led Team India to a 4-1 victory against Zimbabwe alongside T20 World Cup 2024 winner Shivam Dube and reserve Rinku Singh.

“Excellent series. The hunger that we showed after the first loss was phenomenal to watch. Lot of the players had long flights, they weren’t used to the conditions. The way they adapted was remarkable. I have been there (Sri Lanka) once for Asia Cup, looking forward to go there and performing,” Gill said after India’s series victory over Zimbabwe.

The Team India tour of Sri Lanka will also be the first assignment for newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir. It is expected that the squad for the T20I series will be finalized by the selectors on Wednesday along with the ODI series.