Hardik Pandya set to be India's next limited-overs skipper: Reports

Premier allrounder Hardik Pandya is likely to be appointed India's next white-ball captain, leading the senior men's side in ODIs and T20Is, stated a report in the ANI. 

The sources privy to the developments have it that the plan to make Pandya the new captain in the two formats has been discussed with the experienced Baroda cricketer. 

Speculations have been rife around Hardik Pandya's India captaincy ascent ever since he led a second-string Indian side on the trip to New Zealand last month, only a week after the end of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. 

Pandya, who had led first-timers Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title at IPL 2022, had also captained the side during the short T20I series in Ireland in June. That he has been identified as the potential successor to regular captain Rohit Sharma is known, but it seems Pandya could be the man at the helm of affairs not long from now. 

Hardik Pandya to be India's next white-ball captain 

"We have this plan and we discussed it with Hardik. He has asked for some days for a response. No decision has been taken in this regard but we are currently in the thought process to give him the white-ball captaincy, let us see how things go further," a source from the BCCI close to the discussions told ANI. 

Pandya's first taste of leadership came during IPL 2022 with the Titans on his comeback assignment, where having regained full fitness from a back issue, he not only top-scored with 487 runs at SR of 131.26 but also picked up 8 wickets at 7.27 runs an over, including a match-winning three-wicket burst in the final. 

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Apart from the IPL, and trips to Ireland and New Zealand, he was part of the leadership group as vice-captain for the T20I series against South Africa in June and also for the tour to West Indies and USA in August. 

With Rohit entering the twilight of his career, Pandya is expected to take over the mantle in T20Is in the build-up to the next T20 World Cup. But his ODI ascent isn't likely to arrive until the 2023 World Cup on home shores, for which the Indian selectors are expected to back Rohit & company.