Hardik led the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma following the 2022 World Cup
22 July, 2024
PHOTO: AFP
Former Indian cricketer and chief selector Ajit Agarkar has explained why Suryakumar Yadav was chosen over Hardik Pandya as the T20I captain.
During the announcement of India's squad for the limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav was named the new skipper for the shorter format.
Pandya previously captained the Gujarat Titans to an IPL victory in 2022 and also served as vice-captain during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
In a recent press conference, Agarkar cited fitness concerns as the primary reason for this leadership change.
He emphasized that while Hardik remains a crucial player for the team, his recurring fitness issues made it challenging for the selectors and coaches to rely on him consistently as captain.
“Regarding Hardik, he's still a very important player for us. Fitness has obviously been a challenge for him... Then, it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors... Fitness is a clear challenge, and we want someone who is available more often than not...Having said that, we believe Surya has the qualities necessary to be a captain,” Agarkar said.
Agarkar emphasized that Pandya remains a vital player for the team. Relieving him of captaincy duties allows for better workload management.
“We also feel we can manage Hardik better; we've seen what he can do with the bat and ball in the World Cup... We speak to every player about whether their role has changed. And yeah, we've spoken to him,” he said.
Team India is set to depart for Sri Lanka on July 22. The tour will kick off with a three-match T20I series starting on July 27, followed by a three-match ODI series.
Senior players, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are expected to join the squad for the ODI matches, adding experience and depth to the team.
T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ꮪhubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
T20I Series:
ODI Series:
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