BCCI to go MI way ahead of Champions Trophy? Hardik Pandya to lead India if Rohit Sharma is removed as captain: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) might go the Mumbai Indians way with Hardik Pandya emerging as a strong contender to replace Rohit Sharma incase the Indian board decides to appoint a new ODI captain ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy next month.

There has been talk about Rohit's future as India captain after the 37-year-old's poor run of form in the longest format of the game in the past months.

The Mumbaikar himself opted out of India's 16-man squad for the fifth and final Tests against Australia in Melbourne. Also, he has not made his future clear, giving the BCCI an option to look for a new leadership option before the big-ticket event.

According to a report in MyKhel, the BCCI top brass is already in talks for a new captain in the 50-over format. It also stated that if the Indian board decides to ease the pressure from Rohit, Pandya could be the next Indian captain in ODIs.

"Hardik has the knack for leading in high-pressure situations, and his experience as an all-rounder and leader makes him an ideal choice for an ICC tournament like the Champions Trophy," a source was quoted as saying. If that happens, it will be similar to what happened at Mumbai Indians just before Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Why Hardik Pandya and not SKY?

Ever since Rohit stepped down as India's T20I captain following their World Cup win in June, Suryakumar Yadav was given the reins. However, Suryakumar hasn't able to cement his place in India's ODI setup. In 37 ODIs, the right-hander has mastered only 773 runs.

That leaves BCCI with no other choice but to go with Pandya. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are a couple of other names in contention but the report claimed the duo aren't matured enough to take over ODI captaincy duties from Rohit.

"Gill needs more grooming to mature into a leader, and SKY's ODI performances haven't been convincing enough. Hardik remains the most balanced option to lead India in ODIs if Rohit is unavailable," the source further added.