Here's why Hardik Pandya wasn't picked as India's T20I captain
India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar has finally broken his silence over Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as India's new T20I captain. Notably, Hardik Pandya was India's vice-captain in white-ball cricket till the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, which concluded last month. As Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after the tournament, Hardik seemed certain to succeed him. However, his fitness issues made the selectors go with SKY.
Why does this story matter?
Suryakumar was named the captain of India's T20I side that will face hosts Sri Lanka in a three-match series. Hardik will participate in the series solely as a player with Shubman Gill being the vice-captain. Agarkar and India's newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir attended a press conference on July 22. The former also shed light on SKY's appointment.
Here's what Agarkar said
"Suryakumar Yadav was made captain because he is one of the deserving candidates. He is one of the best T20I batters. You want a captain who is likely to play all the games. Hardik Pandya's fitness has been a challenge for him," Agarkar said in the presser. Notably, SKY has been India's mainstay batter in T20Is since his debut in 2021.
Perpetual injuries have kept Hardik out
As per ESPNcricinfo, Hardik was part of India's XI in just 46 of the 79 T20Is India played since the start of 2022. He suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Moreover, SKY, who doesn't seem to be a part of India's Test plans, hasn't been picked for SL ODIs. Hence, he is likely to focus more on T20Is.
Suryakumar vs Hardik: Captaincy stats
In 2023, Suryakumar became the ninth Indian captain in T20Is since the start of 2021. India have won five out of seven T20Is under him. Although Hardik was touted as Rohit's successor as India's T20I captain, fitness issues dented his plight. Hardik has done a fairly good job while leading India to 10 wins in 16 T20Is (one tied encounter).
