“Now is he the coach’s choice? Or he has someone else in mind? And will that someone be the selectors’ choice? These are the important points of discussion. Axar Patel was the vice-captain for the World Cup, Ishan Kishan has age, form and leadership credentials; and then there is Sanju Samson’s name doing the rounds. Samson has recency bias on his side but his inconsistency has not pleased key stakeholders,” adds the source.
The selectors have followed a process, incorporating a fair share of instinctive calls, but they haven’t sprung wild surprises. Performance, consistency and longevity have been key metrics. Suryakumar getting the pink slip is a no-brainer, but selecting his successor will require unanimity — something which hasn’t always been the case with Gambhir and Agarkar.