Ajit Agarkar, the chief of BCCI’s selection committee, explained the rationale behind appointing Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain of India’s T20I team, instead of the expected choice, Hardik Pandya. This decision followed the retirement of Rohit Sharma after the World Cup last month. Hardik Pandya, who had served as Rohit’s vice-captain during the T20 World Cup and had previously led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, seemed like a natural successor. Additionally, Hardik has notable captaincy experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having led both the Gujarat Titans and the Mumbai Indians.
However, Ajit Agarkar revealed that Hardik’s fitness issues were a significant concern for the selection committee and the new India head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Hardik had suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup in October, which led to him being ruled out of the tournament. He was subsequently out of action until the start of IPL 2024, where he returned to captain the Mumbai Indians. His injury history meant that he only participated in 46 of the 79 T20Is India played since the beginning of 2022. This inconsistency in availability made the selectors cautious about appointing him as the full-time captain.
“Hardik is a very important player. He has the skillsets which are very difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last two years. It becomes tough as coach and selector. Until the next World Cup in 2026, we want to look at a few things. That was the main challenge. That was the thought behind it. We wanted the one who is available all the time,” he stated ahead of India’s departure for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
In contrast, Suryakumar Yadav had demonstrated his leadership skills by leading the Mumbai state team in domestic cricket. Furthermore, in international cricket, he led India in consecutive T20I series following the ODI World Cup, achieving a 4-1 victory against Australia at home and a 1-1 series draw in South Africa. Ajit Agarkar highlighted that Suryakumar’s selection was heavily influenced by positive feedback from other Indian players, labeling him as “one of the most deserving candidates” for the role.
He stated, “Suryakumar Yadav was made the captain, because he is one of the most deserving candidates. We have been getting the feedback from the dressing room. He has got great cricket brain, he is one of the best T20 batters in the world, and the one who is likely to play all the games. Surya has got the necessary quality that you need to succeed as a captain.”
Suryakumar Yadav’s first task as the official T20I captain will be the tour of Sri Lanka, where India is scheduled to play three T20Is between July 27 and 30. This series will also mark the debut assignment of Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach. Despite being removed from the vice-captaincy, Hardik Pandya will still be part of the series. Shubman Gill, who led India to a 4-1 win in Zimbabwe earlier this month, has been promoted to the vice-captaincy role, reflecting the selectors’ trust in his leadership potential.
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