India vs Sri Lanka Squad 4 Takeaways: Hardik Pandya Snubbed From Leadership Group, Big Stars Ignored And More

With India's squad for Gautam Gambhir's first series as India head coach getting announced, major changes have already started taking place. Gambhir's influence and voice in the selection process is evident. Suryakumar Yadav - once Gambhir's vice-captain at Kolkata Knight Riders - has been named as the captain of the T20I squad, ahead of 2024 T20 World Cup vice-captain Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah will be given an extended rest, while Shreyas Iyer returns to the ODI setup despite not having a BCCI central contract. Here are four key takeaways by NDTV Sports from the India squad for the Sri Lanka tour:

1. Hardik Pandya not part of leadership group

Whilst Gambhir's faith in Suryakumar Yadav is not a surprise, what is alarming is the complete omission of Hardik Pandya from any sort of captaincy role. Instead, it is India's captain in the Zimbabwe tour, Shubman Gill, who has been named vice-captain in both the ODIs and T20Is.

One can only speculate the real reason behind Hardik's downfall on the captaincy pecking order. Is it Hardik's disastrous Mumbai Indians stint? Or is it the fact that Hardik's injury-prone nature means he may not always be a part of the squad? It could also be that Gambhir is firmly looking towards the future, aiming to prepare Gill as India's next captain in all formats from now itself.

2. Shubman Gill's Big Promotion

Gambhir seems to have his eyes set firmly on the 2027 World Cup, and it seems like Shubman Gill is his vote as the nation's future captain in all formats. Gill has been named as the vice-captain in both the T20I and the ODI squads, ahead of Hardik Pandya no less. With Rohit being 37 and Suryakumar 33, Gambhir is looking to mould a future captain right from the start.

3. Abhishek