India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have now explained why Hardik Pandya was not granted any sort of leadership position in the India squad for the upcoming T20I and ODI tour to Sri Lanka. Perhaps the biggest bombshell of the first India squad announcement from Gautam Gambhir was that Suryakumar Yadav would feature as T20I captain, while Hardik Pandya did not even get a vice-captaincy role in any format. Agarkar hinted that ongoing fitness concerns were the reason Pandya was overlooked for a leadership role.
“As far as Hardik is concerned, fitness has been something that he’s struggled with. As selectors, it becomes difficult then. The thought behind it was that we want someone, who is likely to be available more,” Ajit Agarkar said at a press conference which was Gambhir’s first as India head coach.
He also added that, even while making this decision, Agarkar stressed on the fact that Hardik still remained an important player for Team India after all, his all-round skills are invaluable.
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“He is still a very important player. And that’s what we want him to be, those skillsets are hard to find,” Ajit Agarkar added.
Pandya was the main man behind India’s title victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. He scored 144 runs with the bat and took 11 wickets in eight games, but Agarkar and Gambhir mentioned why Suryakumar Yadav is the right choice for the role.
: Ajit Agarkar clears the air on Surya Kumar Yadav as captain.
– He mentioned – It’s the feedback we had received from the dressing room and he’s a deserving candidate.
: For Hardik, fitness has been a challenge ! pic.twitter.com/MlOHkbpLkJ
— General : VK (@IamGeneralVK) July 22, 2024
“He is a deserving candidate. He has been a great batter for us. We feel that Surya has all the necessary qualities to be a good captain,” said Ajit Agarkar.
Although Suryakumar Yadav has captained India in T20Is in the past, this promotion to captaincy should not come as a surprise since Gambhir had a great influence on this selection. More interestingly, under Gambhir, Suryakumar was appointed vice-captain of KKR when Yadav was only 24. This long-term trust and belief in his leadership abilities are now translating into an elevation to captaincy at the national level.
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Well, it is then going to be a new chapter for Indian cricket with new leadership and the same focus on fitness and availability, which are evident hallmarks of the recent successes. How the new leader, Suryakumar Yadav, is going to impact the team’s performance in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be watched by the world.
India squads for Sri Lanka tour:
T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman 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, Mohd. 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.
