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Suryakumar Yadav, India (Source: Twitter)
Team India are all set to face the Windies challenge in a multi-format tour that includes two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. While the squads for the ODIs and Tests were announced earlier, the Indian Cricket Board named a 15-member squad for the T20Is on Wednesday, July 5. The team would be led by skipper Hardik Pandya with senior batter Suryakumar Yadav acting as his deputy.
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While this is a new composition in leadership, it has found endorsement from a former Indian opener. Cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra declared that the Board’s decision regarding the leadership duties has been spot-on. “The Indian team has been selected for the T20I series against West Indies. Hardik Pandya is the captain and Suryakumar Yadav is the vice-captain. Giving him the vice-captaincy is right because of the way he has performed," he said on his YouTube channel.
"It's not just the seniority in the side but if you see otherwise as well, he had come with a lot of cricketing experience. He has been a late bloomer slightly but vice-captain, I think a very good choice," he added. Talking of Suryakumar’s expertise in the shortest format, in 46 T20I innings, he has scored 1675 runs at an exceptional strike rate of 175.76. In 258 T20 games, India's Mr 360 has accumulated 6503 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 151.69.
Aakash Chopra also talked extensively about Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in T20Is
Aakash Chopra believes Hardik Pandya could continue as India’s T20I captain in the upcoming T20 World Cups. “Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now a final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," he said.
“I feel they had already moved in that direction and it is still the same, nothing has changed. None of the seniors have been picked. KL Rahul is unavailable but now it is extended that you have not played Rohit and Kohli since the World Cup," he mentioned observing the absence of senior batter in the squad for the T20Is of the West Indies tour.