The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clearly stated its position on the matter. Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir have explained the choice to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the captain for T20 matches instead of Hardik Panday. Agarkar, who leads the selection committee, mentioned that Hardik’s fitness was a key factor in deciding to give the captaincy to Suryakumar. However, former Indian cricketer Krisnamachari Srikkanth is not fully convinced by Agarkar’s explanation during the press conference with Gambhir, and believes that Hardik was not overlooked due to fitness issues.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth mentioned that the selectors likely received insights from the team’s area, based on this year’s Indian Premier League, where Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians ended up in last place.
“I believe they based their decision on feedback from the team area. It probably came from the IPL. I don’t fully agree with the focus on fitness. He played throughout the IPL and even bowled. Yes, he may not have performed well in the IPL, and that’s a separate matter. The Mumbai Indians didn’t make it to the next stage. However, at the World Cup, he was the vice-captain and he played well. So, I don’t fully agree with the emphasis on fitness,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth believes that Surya has the necessary traits to be a successful captain, but he doesn’t think fitness should be the reason for not considering Hardik for the position.
“What’s the feedback from the team? I’m not sure what that means. Yes, Suryakumar has the skills to be a captain. I agree with that. He might make an excellent captain. But the reasons for removing Hardik Pandya as captain seem to be avoiding the real issue when it comes to the explanation.”
“Suryakumar is a great person, and I like him. The same goes for Hardik. However, the reasons they’re providing for their decisions could be more direct. They could simply say, ‘We are removing Hardik Pandya as captain because we want to move forward and consider Suryakumar for a long-term role.’
They should be clear and not hold back.
I’ve been a chairman myself, so I’ve chosen and removed players and dealt with plenty of criticism. I’m not claiming to be perfect; I’ve made my share of mistakes too. But you need to provide a solid explanation. I’m not satisfied with their justification,” he insisted.
