Pandya’s outstanding performance in the tournament will be rewarded with the captaincy, while star pacer Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be named vice-captain, according to Indian media reports.
Pandya played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup victory, defending the target in the final over against South Africa and taking the crucial wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, who was close to winning the game for the Proteas.
Although Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav were considered for the captaincy, Pandya emerged as the preferred choice. He is likely to lead the team in the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the goal of preparing him for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.
India is currently engaged in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Shubman Gill serving as captain. The series is tied 1-1 after India’s impressive 100-run victory in the second T20I.
Previously, Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed that Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the Indian team in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 and the Champions Trophy 2025.
Sharma recently ended India’s 11-year ICC trophy drought by leading the team to victory in the T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final in Bridgetown.
Appointed as India’s captain in 2021 after Virat Kohli stepped down, Sharma has since led the team to the WTC 2021-23 final and the ODI World Cup 2023 final, where they lost to Australia on both occasions.
“I am confident that under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, we will win the WTC Final and the Champions Trophy,” Shah stated in a video shared by the BCCI.