Hardik Pandya likely to be appointed as the Indian captain for the Ireland series- Reports

Things seem to be going Hardik Pandya's way in recent times. He is set to make a comeback to the Indian team against South Africa after a prolonged injury. He has also become the first captain to lead his team to the final in the Indian T20 League 2022. According to reports, the all-rounder might be named captain of the Indian squad for their tour to Ireland.

A source revealed that Pandya is in contention to become the team captain based on his performance in the Indian T20 League 2022. He seemed very mature with the added responsibility which impressed the selection committee, stated the source.

"Hardik has been impressive. What is more satisfying is that he has become a very responsible player as a captain. He is certainly in the scheme of things for the captaincy role for the Ireland tour," a member of the selection committee told InsideSport.

However, the source stated that it is too early to confirm anything and that a final decision will be made during the South Africa series. "See, it’s still too early to make any announcements. Hardik is one of the names but a decision will be taken only during the South Africa series. What’s important is that he remains fit and in form. He is a very crucial member of the squad," he added.

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant are expected to be unavailable for the series as they will be traveling with the red-ball team to England. Shikhar Dhawan, on the other hand, was projected to be the frontrunner for captaincy in the series against South Africa and Ireland. However, he was not selected for the 18-man squad for the five-match T20 series against the Proteas. It appears as if the left-hander is not in the scheme of things for the BCCI.

Additionally, because Rahul Dravid would be occupied with the Test squad, VVS Laxman may be the team's coach in Ireland.