Column | Captain SKY & Gill's elevation

National selectors sprang many a surprise while announcing the squads for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. In the first place, they named Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) as the captain of the Indian side for the the three T20 Internationals (T20Is). Hardik Pandya, who was vice-captain of the team during the recent International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup and had led the national side on many occasions in the past, figures in the squad as an ordinary member. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the side in the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) where neither SKY nor Pandya features. Shubman Gill is the new vice-captain of the team in both T20Is and ODIs.

The issue of who would take over the captaincy had cropped up from the moment Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is after the finals of the World Cup. It was widely expected that Pandya would step into the slot vacated by Rohit as he possessed the required experience by virtue of leading the national side in the past. Further, he had performed creditably as skipper of Gujarat Titans in Indian Premier League (IPL) during the two years that he was was the helm of the side of this franchisee. Besides, as one of the leading all-rounders in the game in white-ball cricket, he is an automatic choice to the national squad in both versions of the limited overs game. However, despite all this, he was not considered for this position and captaincy handed over to SKY.

What could be the reasons for Pandya being passed over? There were unconfirmed reports that he indicated an unwillingness to play in the ODIs citing personal reasons. That apart, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had expressed displeasure when he stayed away from playing in domestic first-class matches during the last season. His fitness levels had also invited adverse comments after he broke down with an injury midway through the ICC World Cup held in India last year. He was also at the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from the fans for his move from Titans, where he was a successful skipper, to Mumbai Indians, where he displaced a very popular Rohit as captain. Did any of these factors or a combination of them play a role in Pandya falling out of favour with the selectors and the cricket administration? The terse statement issued by the BCCI to the effect that it will continue to monitor player availability and participation in the upcoming domestic cricket season 2024-25 throws a hint that this may be a key reason for Pandya losing out on the captaincy. The BCCI should consider giving a clarification on the matter as otherwise it will leave the field open for all types of rumours and innuendoes. 

It is not in dispute that SKY is one of the best batsmen in the world in T20 cricket. He had also led the national squad in two series - against Australia at home and South Africa on a tour in 2023. So he is not exactly a newcomer to captaincy. He had a decent run in the recent World Cup, and his stunning catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over that swung the game firmly in favour of India electrified the entire nation. Despite all these aspects, why are some doubts or inhibitions cropping up in the minds of the followers of the game on his appointment as captain?

The core issue involved is the place of captain of national cricket team in the Indian society. The renowned sociologist and cricket observer Ramchandra Guha had once famously observed that the captain of the national cricket team is the second most important person in the country after the Prime Minister. Though there is a bit of hyperbole in this statement, this conveys a very significant message about the status and authority of the skipper in public eye. Successive captains from Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit have enjoyed this privilege and basked in the limelight provided by the enhanced status. 

The importance of this position could be maintained on account of two main reasons - the stature of cricketers who held this post and the fact that there has only been one captain in all the three versions of the game. Though there were phases when different skippers led the country in the longer and shorter duration formats, this was more of a temporary phenomenon with the incumbents too knowing about its transient nature. This also helped the respective captains to forge a strong bond with the coaches of the time, which worked to the advantage of the sides in all formats.

SKY, for all his brilliance in T20 cricket, is essentially a single format player. He is not a regular member of the side in ODIs and did not do well in the only opportunity he got to play in Test cricket. He has remodelled his batting style solely to suit the requirements of T20 game and it is inconceivable that he will try to adapt his technique to needs of the other formats. Hence the possibility of SKY being vested with the responsibility to lead the side in Tests and ODIs is next to nil. So this move cannot be considered as one for the long term and is in all probability a short duration measure  till the selectors zoom in on a good successor for Rohit in all formats.

Jay Shah, secretary of BCCI, has gone on record that he expected India under Rohit to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy, both scheduled to be held in 2025. It is inconceivable that Rohit, who at 37, will try to stay on beyond these tournaments. Hence in all probability, a successor to Rohit in these versions will be needed towards the end of 2025 or early 2026. Who among the present lot can stake a claim to lead the country in all three formats once Rohit steps down? The names of Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Gill come immediately to the mind in this regard as they are only ones with age on their side and have sufficient experience of playing in all formats at the highest level.

Amongst this lot, Iyer is almost a non-starter as, despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to championship title in IPL in 2024, he has been bogged by injury problems in recent times. Bumrah would have fitted the bill but for the fact that he has to bear the responsibility of being the main strike bowler in all formats. Hence placing the responsibility of captaincy on his shoulders will add to his workload and bring additional stress on him. At a time when the BCCI is thinking of preserving him for the important matches, making him captain will be counter productive. 

This leaves only Pant and Gill in the fray.  Both are young, have impressed with their performances in the international arena besides having led their respective sides in IPL. Gill has a slight edge over Pant solely due to the fact that latter also dons the big gloves. Hence the strain on him will be far greater if he is burdened with the responsibilities of leading the side and playing in all matches, with little time for rest and recuperation. 

Thus, by a process of exclusion, Gill emerges as the front-runner for leading the country when Rohit hangs up his boots. His appointment as vice-captain of white-ball teams is required to be seen in this light. This is perhaps an indication about the thinking of the selectors and the top brass of the BCCI in this regard. This appears to be the most important takeaway amongst the various decisions taken by the selectors while choosing the squads for this tour. 

The Lankan tour is also significant in that this is the first one undertaken by the side after Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as coach of the national team. He is entrusted with the task to mould the national squads for all versions of the game in the years ahead and ensure a smooth transition when seniors players as Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja bid adieu to international cricket. The prospect of the potential captain for the years ahead being part of the team management through his role as vice captain will certainly be a good way to initiate Gill into the upper echelons of team management. 

Here is wishing SKY  all good luck and success in his new assignment as captain of the national T20 side. Best wishes to Gambhir and Gill also as they take over their new assignments in the team management. 

(The author is a former international cricket umpire and a retired bureaucrat)