Rashid Latif slams BCCI for appointing Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain instead of Hardik Pandya

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has expressed skepticism over the BCCI's decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as India's new T20I captain instead of Hardik Pandya.

Pandya was overlooked for the captaincy role, which was vacated by Rohit Sharma. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited concerns about Pandya's fitness as the primary reason for choosing Suryakumar.

Pandya had previously served as Sharma's deputy during India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign. The selection committee also named Shubman Gill as the new T20I vice-captain, replacing Pandya. This decision was aimed at preparing Gill for future leadership roles.

Latif believes that the selectors are using Pandya's fitness as a pretext to deny him the captaincy.

“They should simply hand him a certificate declaring him unfit, citing concerns about his fitness. However, many great captains have succeeded despite not being in peak physical condition. Therefore, I believe this was merely an excuse. If Suryakumar Yadav was unavailable, Rishabh Pant would have been the logical choice for captain, as far as future is concerned,” stated Latif.