India has enjoyed remarkable success under Rohit Sharma’s leadership in recent ICC white-ball tournaments, clinching both the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025. While Rohit has stated that he will continue playing ODIs, it remains uncertain whether he will lead the team all the way to the 2027 50-over World Cup. Meanwhile, former World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has put forward a different recommendation for India’s future white-ball captain. Interestingly, the player Kapil has suggested isn’t currently leading the team in any format.
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Kapil Dev Backs Hardik Pandya For Future Leadership
Kapil Dev, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain, has backed Hardik Pandya as the ideal choice to lead the national team in white-ball cricket. In an interview with MyKhel during a PGTI Pro-Am event in Greater Noida, Kapil stated that although many players could take up the role, he personally prefers Pandya. He believes Pandya’s youth and leadership potential make him capable of building a strong team for upcoming ICC tournaments. While Pandya served as vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is under Rahul Dravid’s coaching, he lost that position after Gautam Gambhir became head coach. Concerns over Pandya’s fitness and availability have kept him out of any official leadership role.
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Currently, Suryakumar Yadav leads India in T20Is, and Shubman Gill serves as the ODI vice-captain. Kapil Dev pointed out that since Pandya doesn’t play Test cricket, India may need different captains for each format. In the IPL, Pandya captains senior players like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians. He impressed everyone with his leadership at Gujarat Titans by winning the IPL in 2022 and finishing as runner-up in 2023. However, his return to Mumbai Indians in 2024 turned disappointing, as the team finished last. Despite the recent struggles, Kapil believes Pandya still has the right qualities to lead India’s white-ball teams in the future.