New Delhi: In a significant leadership change for the Indian men's cricket team, Suryakumar Yadav is poised to lead the T20I side in the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka which commences on July 27.

IANS understands that the T2OI World Cup vice-captain Hardik Pandya might be left out from the Indian squad for Sri Lanka which is expected to be announced on Wednesday afternoon. Pandya has excused himself, citing personal and family reasons for his unavailability. Hardik will return to the Indian side against Bangladesh for T2OIs.

Suryakumar will take over from Rohit Sharma, who recently led India to victory in the T20 World Cup before retiring from the format, along with veterans Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Despite Hardik's extensive captaincy experience—including leading India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, as well as captaining Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL—his recurring injuries have impacted his availability. Most recently, an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup in October 2023 sidelined him until IPL 2024. Since the start of 2022, Hardik has participated in only 46 out of India's 79 T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav brings a wealth of leadership experience, having captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and India in the T20I series against Australia and South Africa last year. His aggressive batting style aligns well with contemporary T20 cricket, making him a key player in India's line-up.

The tour of Sri Lanka will also mark the beginning of Gautam Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach, taking over from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup. This tour represents the first step in building the team for the next T20 World Cup, scheduled for 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

While India did play a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe immediately after the T20 World Cup, only three players from the World Cup-winning squad participated, and they were available only for the final three games.

(IANS)