Pandya to lead India in West Indies T20s

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been named captain for five T20 internationals in the West Indies, with top stars including Virat Kohli and regular skipper Rohit Sharma absent from the squad, AFP reported.

Suryakumar Yadav will be Pandya’s deputy in the 15-member squad, announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The matches starting Aug. 3 in Trinidad will be played after two Tests and three one-day internationals, the squads for which were announced last month.

Rohit remains the captain in the five-day and 50-over formats but Pandya seems to be emerging as a regular choice in the shortest form of the international game.

Pandya has led the team in recent T20 matches with Rohit and Kohli not playing T20Is since India’s semi-final exit at the 2022 World Cup.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma have earned maiden T20 call-ups after impressive Indian Premier League campaigns, while batsman Sanju Samson returns.