Amid the widespread talks regarding the change in India’s T20I captaincy, Saba Karim has dropped three hot picks to take over the duties following Suryakumar Yadav being dethroned. While Shreyas Iyer has emerged as the frontrunner to replace the current skipper as the new leader of the side, the former India cricketer believes that there will be two to three names who are strong contenders for the T20I captaincy.
Karim has namedropped Rajat Patidar as a real challenger to Iyer to become the new captain of the side. According to him, Patidar led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back championships in the Indian Premier League, which is a terrific feat. After this amazing accomplishment, Karim believes that Patidar not only deserves a place in the squad but also the role of captaincy.
“I would like to add Rajat Patidar’s name as a contender for captaincy. Winning back-to-back IPL titles is a very tough assignment, and he has done that in a very calm and assured manner. He has had to lead a team of star individuals and foreign players who are key assets for their respective national sides.
“To lead a team with so many legends and a diverse mix of experience is a very difficult assignment, and he has accomplished that brilliantly,” Karim said via JioStar.
Apart from Iyer and Patidar, the wicketkeeper-batter has also shared the names of experienced and in-form players like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan to replace the current T20I skipper.
“I think Shreyas Iyer would be one of those candidates. But I also have Sanju Samson and, in fact, Ishan Kishan in mind. I believe there will be two or three strong contenders to take over the captaincy,” the cricketer-turned-commentator expressed further.
What about Hardik Pandya?
Lastly, Karim also touched upon the possibility of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya getting the duties to lead the side once again. He believes that the chances of Pandya becoming the skipper look very bleak, owing to his poor form as an individual, while also highlighting his record as the captain of Mumbai Indians, who finished ninth in IPL 2026.
“I think the selectors have raised question marks over Hardik Pandya’s leadership skills. Last season, although Mumbai Indians did qualify for the playoffs, some questions were raised about his style of leadership. Even on current form, I don’t think he would justify his position as the captain of the Indian side,” he concluded.
India’s next T20I assignment will be for the two-match series against Ireland, beginning June 26. Both the matches of this series will be played in Belfast. The team will then travel to the United Kingdom (UK) for five T20Is against England across July. Later in the year, the Indian team will also be defending their gold medal at the Asian Games.
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