Following the appointment of Suryakumar Yadav as T20I captain for the tour of Sri Lanka, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed his support for all-rounder Hardik Pandya to assume the T20I captaincy. Notably, young batter Shubman Gill has been designated as the new T20I vice-captain ahead of Hardik, who served in that role during the 2024 T20 World Cup victory. 

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Kaif opined that the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, should have supported Pandya for the T20I captaincy, given his prior experience in leading the side.