Suryakumar Yadav to captain India in T20Is against Australia: Reports

NEW DELHI: With all-rounder Hardik Pandya yet to recover from an ankle injury, Suryakumar Yadav is likely to captain India in the upcoming T20 home series against Australia, according to a media report.

The five-match T20 series will begin on November 23 in Vizag and conclude in Hyderabad on December 3.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the selecting committee headed by Ajit Agarkar is likely to elevate Yadav to the captaincy as Pandya was ruled out due to an injury he sustained during the 2023 World Cup and will take at least two months to recover fully from his ankle injury.

Pandya is likely to miss three T20I and three ODI games against South Africa too.

Yadav served as vice-captain during India's West Indies tour, featuring in five T20 matches spanning the Caribbean and the US. Previously, he led both the Mumbai team and the India Under-23 squad in the Emerging Cup a few years back.

Following the conclusion of the ODI World Cup, as Rahul Dravid's contract expires, the BCCI approached VVS Laxman to temporarily coach the Indian team in a stop-gap arrangement. Additionally, the support staff from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will be tasked with overseeing the team during this period, the report further said.