Former Indian cricketer sees silver lining for Hardik Pandya after T20I captaincy snub

Following Rohit Sharma's retirement from T20I cricket, many expected Hardik Pandya to take over the captaincy. However, the BCCI has appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain. Former cricketer Lalchand Rajput believes this change might actually benefit Pandya.

Rajput suggests that with Pandya no longer carrying the burden of captaincy, he can concentrate fully on his game and play with greater freedom. This, according to Rajput, will allow Pandya to showcase his all-round abilities to the fullest. He also believes Pandya should aim for a comeback in Test cricket, especially with a challenging five-match series against Australia coming up later this year.

Pandya last played a Test match in 2018 against England. Since then, injuries have kept him out of the longest format of the game. Rajput sees significant value in having Pandya back in Test cricket due to his ability to impact the game with both bat and ball.

“I would love to see him in the red-ball cricket. He is a player who can change the course of the game in all three departments. If he could do well in red-ball cricket, that would add value to the team. He's an all-rounder who can come at no.6 and also bowl a couple of overs,” Rajput said.

While Rajput supports Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as T20I captain, he understands the team management's decision to relieve Pandya from the role. He emphasizes that this will allow Pandya to focus on his performance and contribute effectively as an all-rounder.

“I think the selectors must have thought in the line with coach, too. The management wants Hardik Pandya to do well. If they release him from captaincy, he can play freely and give his best performance with bat and ball. I heard the press conference of Ajit Agarkar, he said most of the time he was unfit. They need a captain who is fit to play all the games. That must have tilted the favour towards Suryakumar Yadav. SKY has also been a captain of the Mumbai Ranji team and started early in the T20 format. He will lead the team in the best possible way," he further added.