India made history when they won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. It was only the second time that India got their hands on the World T20 title. But that moment came with some big news. The senior trio of the team have announced their retirement from the T20 internationals. After the win, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja hung their boots in T20is.
That has made India think about their T20I plans for the coming future. Notably, the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in India after two years, and who will be the captain for the team, representing India at the home World Cup? Not just the captain, India will be looking for someone who can be as consistent as the seniors at the top of the order.
Shubman Gill to fill Rohit Sharma’s shoes as the next Indian T20I Captain
Notably, the whole Indian team and fans were busy in the post-T20 World Cup celebration. A new-look Team India travelled to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series. This series is scheduled to get underway on July 6, and the BCCI has backed Shubman Gill to lead the Indian team for this tour. This will be the start of a new era, as there are a number of players who got their maiden T20I cap for this series.
But it also indicates the trust that the Indian board shows in Shubman Gill. The 24-year-old was not part of the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 because India had their own plans as per the conditions. But with no Rohit and Virat at the top, it will give Gill a chance to cement his place at the top in T20Is. He is a key member of the team in the other two formats and is seen as a future captain.
Gill has the potential to make it big, and the coming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe will be ideal for him. He will make his captaincy debut at the international level. Recently, he made his IPL captaincy debut with Gujarat Titans. Gill is still young and is someone who likes to lead from the front. Former Indian star Suresh Raina also shared his opinion on captaincy choices. In an interview with Lallantop, he said, “I would say he will be the next Indian captain (after Rohit Sharma). Ban sakta hai vo.”
Hardik Pandya is likely to be the next T20I captain after Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma will still be captaining the ODI and Test teams. He will have the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on his mind. So India need to find the next T20I captain. However, Hardik Pandya is the frontrunner for this position. The all-rounder was deputy to Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup 2024 and played a crucial role in India lifting the cup.
The BCCI president, Jay Shah, also hinted about Hardik as the next T20I captain. In an interview, “He said that the decision will be made, but the selectors for captaincy. Howveer, when asked about Hardik, he said, “You asked about Hardik, there were a lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself.” Well, nothing can be said, but one thing is certain: Shubman Gill is likely to be the first-choice opener with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the T20Is. So he will get his chance to lead India in the coming years.
Hardik Pandya vs Shubman Gill: Captaincy Record in T20s3
Hardik has led Team India in ODIs and T20Is, but Shubman Gill is very new to it. The all-rounder has led India in 16 T20Is and won 10 of them, while India lost five and one ended in a tie. In ODIs, India have won two of the three matches he has led. In the IPL, Hardik has led Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in a total of 45 matches, winning 26 and losing 19. Under him, GT won the title in 2022 and were runners-up in 2023. Meanwhile, Gill made his IPL captaincy debut in 2024 and won five out of seven matches as captain.
| Captain | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Tie |
| Hardik Pandya | 51 | 36 | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| Shubman Gill | 14 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
