Jay Shah speaks on India's captaincy plan after successful T20 World Cup campaign

The Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, has outlined key decisions and reflections following India's successful campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosted by the USA and West Indies. 

In an interview with reporters in Barbados, Shah disclosed that discussions among BCCI officials and selectors are underway to appoint a new captain, emphasizing that an announcement will follow these deliberations.

Regarding all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Shah commended Pandya's pivotal role in the T20 World Cup, noting that despite a challenging season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the selectors' faith in Pandya proved justified through his impactful performances on the global stage.

"Captaincy will be decided by the selectors, and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were a lot of questions over his form, but the selectors showed faith in him, and he proved himself," Jay Shah said.

Looking ahead, Shah underscored India's aspirations in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle and the upcoming Champions Trophy, highlighting continuity in squad selection.

“The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” he said.

Reflecting on Rohit Sharma's leadership, Shah praised his ability to steer India to victory in the T20 World Cup, contrasting it with India's undefeated run in the ODI World Cup 2023 where they narrowly lost the final. 

“It was the same captain last year and here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time, we worked even harder and played better to win the title. If you look at other teams, experience counts,” he said.

“From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference, in World Cups, you can’t experiment much also. A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game; we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate; it is better than a lot of young players,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that the Indian team had a successful T20 World Cup campaign, remaining unbeaten throughout and securing the title for the second time after 17 years.

This accomplishment makes India the third team, alongside England and West Indies, to win the T20 World Cup twice.