Team India left for Sri Lanka on July 22 after head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar held press conference in Mumbai. Hardik Pandya who recently faced captaincy snub arrived at the airport and hugged assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. Pandya was in high spirits as he left for the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting July 27.
In the press conference, Agarkar explained why Pandya was not made captain despite being Rohit Sharma’s deputy in T20 World Cup 2024. Pandya’s fitness has been a concern and it was one of the main reasons why Suryakumar Yadav was made Rohit’s successor as T20I captain following his retirement from the format.
"Why Surya was made captain? Because he is one of the deserving candidates. The one we know has been around the dressing room over the last one year, you get feedback from the dressing room a lot. He has got a good cricketing brain and he is still one of the best T20 batters in the world," Agarkar said during the press conference.
"You (would) want a captain that's going to be more likely to play all the games. We think he's a deserving candidate and hopefully we'll see over time how he develops into the role."
Hardik’s fitness a challenge
Agarkar reiterated that what Pandya provides to the team is difficult to find. He said that fitness has been a challenge for the fast-bowling all-rounder who was ruled out for months after an ankle injury during league stage of ODI World Cup 2023.
"But in regards to Hardik (Pandya), he's still a very important player for us and that's what we want him to be that player that he can be because those sorts of skill sets are very difficult to find what he has," Agarkar said.
"Fitness, obviously, has been a challenge for him over the last few years and then it becomes a little bit more difficult for him and even as selectors," he said.
"We've got a bit more time till the next T20 World Cup when we can look at a few things. It's not rushed at the moment."
"The fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who's likely to be available more often than not," the 46-year-old said.
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