India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, have explained why Hardik Pandya has not been appointed as a leader in the Indian team for the upcoming T20I and ODI series in Sri Lanka. Gambhir’s initial squad selection made headlines when Suryakumar Yadav was named captain for the shortest format, while Pandya was not given the vice-captain position in any format. Agarkar suggested that Pandya’s exclusion from a leadership role might be related to concerns about his fitness.
“Regarding Hardik, he has had challenges with fitness. This makes it tough for the selectors. The idea was to have a captain who is likely to be available more often,” Agarkar stated during a press conference where Gambhir made his first appearance as India’s head coach.
Agarkar also highlighted that Hardik is still an important player for the Indian team due to his versatile abilities.
“Pandya remains a crucial player. That’s exactly the role we see him in, given his unique abilities,” Agarkar continued.
Pandya was a key performer in India’s win at the 2024 T20 World Cup in June, scoring 144 runs and taking 11 wickets in 8 matches. Nonetheless, Agarkar believes Suryakumar Yadav is the appropriate choice for the captain’s position.
“Suryakumar Yadav is a suitable choice. He has been an excellent batsman for us. We believe Surya possesses all the needed skills to be a good leader,” Agarkar stated.
Although Suryakumar Yadav has previously captained India in T20 matches, his elevation to the captaincy position should not be unexpected following Gambhir’s selection. After all, Gambhir had appointed him as his deputy at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when Suryakumar was only 24 years old.
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.
