When India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad was announced, Hardik Pandya was named Rohit Sharma’s deputy. Hardik was coming off a lacklustre Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 but he turned out to be India’s match-winner in T20 World Cup 2024. After the triumph when Rohit announced his retirement from the format, the all-rounder was expected to be next in line for the captaincy role given his experience. However, in recent days, Suryakumar Yadav has been ahead of him in the race as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the squad for Sri Lanka tour later this month. India’s newly-appointed head coach did not push Suryakumar’s name for the leadership position but he does not want a captain whose workload becomes a problem.
According to Hindustan Times, while chief selector Ajit Agarkar was clear that he wants Surya leading the team in Sri Lanka for the T20I series and till T20 World Cup 2026, Gambhir expressed his concerns as well.
“Although Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call, he made it amply clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a stumbling block. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official told the leading daily.
Injury-prone Hardik
While Hardik's current fitness is not an issue, he has been injury prone. An ankle injury in the ODI World Cup 2023 clash against Bangladesh ruled him out for months of cricketing action. He made his comeback in IPL 2024 and struggled to get going under immense pressure. He has been previously been ruled out for a long time due to injuries as well.
How Surya is being considered a better option
Earlier, Hardik was made stand-in captain after India’s exit from T20 World Cup 2022 at the semifinal stage. However, the injury meant Suryakumar Yadav got a chance and he proved his mettle with five wins from seven outing as captain. Suryakumar scored a T20I century as captain as well.
The Vadodra all-rounder’s track record as India’s T20I captain isn’t disappointing either with 10 wins from 16 games and a tie. However, his captaincy decisions during the IPL 2024 were heavily criticised by former cricketers.
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