Hardik Pandya continues to be a match-winner, and once again, the all-rounder made vital contributions in India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 in front of the home crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where they defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final to lift their third title.
The star all-rounder performed strongly with both bat and ball throughout the T20 World Cup 2026. In 9 matches, Pandya scored 217 runs and took 9 wickets in addition to his brilliant fielding efforts, and proved to be one of India’s most valuable players.
Hardik Pandya aims to achieve more ICC glory for India
After a stellar performance in the T20 World Cup, the 32-year-old believes he still has 10 years left in international cricket. Pandya has set a big target for himself, as he wants to help India win 10 ICC trophies in the coming years. He has already won many ICC trophies in his career.
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However, Hardik Pandya was one of the most deserving candidates for India’s T20 captaincy, and even held the honor for a while, but he failed to capture the crown on a full-time basis.
With Rohit Sharma retiring from T20I cricket after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup, everyone expected Pandya to take charge of the team, and he seemed the obvious choice.
Ajit Agarkar made Suryakumar Yadav the T20 captain of India in place of Hardik Pandya!!
However, despite head coach Gautam Gambhir and his support staff being in favor of Hardik Pandya, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar was not on board with that idea. But Agarkar reportedly pushed hard for Suryakumar Yadav as he felt the batsman was the right man to guide India in the T20Is.
At first, the Indian selectors were not convinced by Subroto Banerjee, S Sharath, Salil Ankola and SS Das Agarkar, but the chief selector explained that the team needed a captain who would be a part of the playing eleven in almost every match, so he refused to give the captaincy to Pandya.
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‘He is a worthy candidate’
Eventually, the other selectors agreed and Suryakumar Yadav became India’s T20 captain, and Pandya was not even given the role of vice-captain, leaving many angry at the selection committee. That role was played by Shubman Gill and Akshar Patel on different occasions.
Ajit Agarkar told the team management, as quoted by The Indian Express: “One of the main issues discussed was that you want a captain who can play all the games. We feel he (Suryakumar) is a worthy candidate.”
Will Suryakumar Yadav become the captain of Mumbai Indians in place of Hardik Pandya?
Meanwhile, a new captaincy storm has started in Mumbai Indians ahead of the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The tournament will begin on March 28, but the biggest talking point at the moment is the leadership of the five-time champions.
There have been reports that Suryakumar can become the new captain of MI. This discussion intensified when he led India to the T20 World Cup 2026 title. His powerful presence sparked discussion in the dressing room. However, Hardik remains the captain of MI for the time being.
There is no official word on the discussion. Notably, the star all-rounder took charge ahead of the 2024 season when he replaced long-time leader Rohit Sharma, who won five IPL titles for MI.
