Hardik Pandya named captain of T20I squad vs Lanka; Rohit Sharma returns as captain in ODIs
New Delhi, Dec 27: The transition phase in Indian cricket kick-started on Tuesday with premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya being named captain of the T20 side for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka starting January 3.
The 27-year-old Baroda man has also been named as the vice-captain of the ODI squad, indicating current regime's plans to see him as long-term white ball leader once 35-year-old Rohit Sharma decides to call time on his illustrious international career.
While Rohit, recuperating from a finger injury was named captain of the ODI series which is to follow the T20Is, it is understandable that the shortest format will now feature fresh faces and primarily IPL performers.
Even Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are also not part of the T20I format and there is an indication that the duo along with Rohit might not be picked again keeping the 2024 T20 World Cup in mind.
The troika will probably be asked to concentrate on 50-over format with a World Cup set to be played in India next year.
"Yes, there will be no official announcement that Rohit has been removed from T20I captaincy but he along with Kohli and Rahul will be phased out from the format. Obviously, Rohit's dislocated thumb injury hasn't completely healed although he has started training. But phasing out has indeed started," a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Suryakumar Yadav, for his mindblowing one year, is now the new vice-captain in T20Is.
Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to IPL triumph during the last edition was touted as Rohit's replacement after India lost to England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup playing archaic cricket.
While Rohit is still recovering from thumb dislocation, the BCCI press release doesn't state if it is a permanent change or just for one series.
The T20I team has a fresh look with two uncapped pacers Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar being inducted into the shortest format.
Mavi was picked by Titans for Rs 6 crore, while Bengal's Mukesh was snapped by Delhi Capitals for Rs 5.50 crore.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi, two powerhouse IPL performers, made it to the T20 side.
The ODI side boasts of a more experienced look with Mohammed Shami coming back from shoulder injury.
Pant heads for NCA
Rishabh Pant is not a part of both the white-ball squads and it is understood that he has been asked to report at the NCA for a knee strengthening rehabilitation programme for two weeks. Hence, he will miss the entire Sri Lanka series.
But BCCI's statement doesn't mention whether he has been rested or dropped.
End of road for Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan, one of India's contemporary white ball greats, has perhaps played his last match for the country after a prolonged bad patch which finds him ousted from the national ODI set-up.
Ironically, even one series before Bangladesh, he was leading the side in New Zealand but his dismal drop in scoring rate and also not being able to string a series of consistent scores have gone against him.
Rohit being a white-ball giant and Shubman Gill in prime ODI form with Ishan Kishan hitting fastest double hundred less than a month back, India have multiple options and can look beyond Dhawan.
As reported by PTI on December 11, Dhawan has now been predictably dropped and possibly it is the end of the road for one India's star performers at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and 2015 World Cup, where he was the highest scorer.
India's squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya (VC), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.
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'Go back to your own country': Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin
London, Aug 5 (PTI): An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault.
Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin.
Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country".
"In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told ‘Dublin Live’.
"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said.
A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening.
"Gardaí are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11:45 pm on Friday, 1st August 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.
The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions.
"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” states the advisory.
“The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours," the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.
It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as “mindless, racist violence” by locals.
The Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack.
“Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard,” the embassy said in a social media post days after the incident.
A Stand Against Racism protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a "vicious racist attack" and to express solidarity with migrants.
Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a “brutal, unprovoked racist attack”.
The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for “concrete measures” from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin.
His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
“This is not an isolated incident. Racist attacks on Indian men and other minorities are surging across Dublin — on buses, in housing estates, and on public streets. Yet, the government is silent. There is no action being taken against these perpetrators. They run free and are emboldened to attack again,” reads Yadav's post.
Fine Gael party Councillor for Tallaght South, Baby Pereppadan, was among those who expressed concern following last month’s attack.
“People need to understand that many Indian people moving to Ireland are here on work permits, to study and work in the healthcare sector or in IT and so on, providing critical skills,” he said.
Another violent anti-Indian attack in Ireland
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 5, 2025
Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was attacked with glass bottles while doing his job pic.twitter.com/mtkwhLWISx
