Former India opener Robin Uthappa has explained why Hardik Pandya shouldn’t be too bothered about losing the T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav. Though Hardik was a big name and was also the vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, the leadership role was taken away and given to Suryakumar Yadav. Till the start of the T20 World Cup, Hardik was being seen as the obvious choice to replace Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain once the latter announced his retirement from the format, post the World Cup.
Hardik was India’s T20I captain from December 2022 to October 2023 when Rohit wasn’t playing the format. But things changed with the arrival of new coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Gambhir and Agarkar were keen on appointing a captain who could commit to all T20I matches. Given Hardik’s history of injuries, they decided to be quite careful in keeping other options open for the leadership role as well.
Uthappa explained the reason behind such a decision and how it might actually help Hardik and Indian cricket in the long run during a virtual interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network. “If I were in Hardik’s place, I would actually feel taken care of to a certain extent,” Uthappa said. He pointed out that a fast-bowling all-rounder is a rare commodity in Indian cricket, more so when he is prone to injuries and in mid-thirties.
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Robin Uthappa continued, “If I’m 34-35 years old and all my career I’ve been injury-prone throughout, and a significant responsibility has been taken away from me with the mindset of extending my career and giving me the best chance to offer my services to my country for as long as possible, then actually I would say OK, this is the best thing for me.”
Acknowledging the immense honor associated with leading the national team, Uthappa stressed the importance of the broader goal: serving the country for an extended period and contributing to as many victories as possible. “Yes, leading India and leading a country is one of the greatest honors that any player can ever imagine. But the larger picture would be, can I serve my country for as long as possible and win as many world championships for my country as I can?” he explained.
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Uthappa’s insight throws light on the situation as a strategic call: managing Hardik’s career longevity while also ensuring that Indian cricket continues to benefit from his skills even if he is not captain. By doing so, he would be relieved of additional burdens and able to concentrate on fitness and performance, which, in turn, becomes a huge contribution toward the success of the team in the longer run.
