Aakash Chopra blind ranked India’s T20I captains and placed Suryakumar Yadav above Hardik Pandya based on their leadership records.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra recently evaluated India’s T20I captains through a blind ranking exercise and said he was satisfied with the final order. India remains among the most successful teams in T20 World Cup history, sharing the record of two titles with England and West Indies.
The side, now led by Suryakumar Yadav, will defend the title at the next edition. During an ESPNcricinfo interaction, Chopra ranked five Indian captains based on T20I results. Suryakumar appeared first and was placed third. He initially took charge in November 2023 on an interim basis before becoming full-time captain in July 2024. Since then, India has not lost a T20I series. Hardik Pandya followed and was ranked fifth. Pandya led India during Rohit Sharma’s absence before the 2024 T20 World Cup.
MS Dhoni topped Aakash Chopra’s blind ranking of India’s T20I captains, with the former skipper’s 2007 title-winning legacy carrying decisive weight. Chopra then placed Rohit Sharma second after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup crown. Virat Kohli followed in fourth, reflecting mixed returns in T20 tournaments despite strong leadership elsewhere. Kohli led India at the 2021 event, where the team exited early.
Chopra completed the list by confirming he was satisfied with the final order.
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