India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have let in an insight into why Hardik Pandya has not been given a leadership role in the India squad for the upcoming T20I and ODI tour to Sri Lanka. The most notable headline of Gambhir’s first India squad was that Suryakumar Yadav had been promoted to captaincy of the team in shortest format, while Hardik Pandya was not even made the vice-captain in any format. Agarkar hinted that Pandya’s demotion was to do with his fitness concerns.

In what was the first question of the press conference, Agarkar even hinted  that the feedback from the dressing room was in favour of Suryakumar’s selection.

“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 joint 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.” The chairman of selectors said they wanted a captain with a proven fitness record and not someone who was prone to injuries as Pandya is believed to be.

Agarkar emphasised that Hardik remains a key player for Team India, with his all-round skillset.

Pandya played a starring role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory in June, with 144 runs with the bat and 11 wickets with the ball in 8 games. However, Agarkar has reasoned that Suryakumar Yadav is the right choice for captaincy.

“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’re trying to now, 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.” “We want him to be, you know, as I said, he’s an important player for us and hopefully his performances are more important – that was the thought behind it. The fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who’s likely to be available more often than not,” Agarkar said.

When asked about the former vice-captain KL Rahul being overlooked, he retorted, “I wasn’t there when KL was superseded; I wasn’t the selector firstly.” “We’ve got a little bit more time now till the… Since I’ve come, there’s been a 50-overs World Cup, almost followed by the T20 World Cup. Fitness is a concern, not just that, we also feel that Surya has the necessary qualities to be a good captain.

“Two years is a long time, so at least it gives us a bit more of a chance to try and look at some things differently. The main thing is we want guys who are available all the time. In this way, we also feel we can manage Hardik a little bit better,” he said.

“He (Suryakumar Yadav) is a deserving candidate. He has been a great batter for us. We feel that Surya has all the necessary qualities to be a good captain,” said Agarkar.

While Suryakumar Yadav has led India in T20Is in the past, his promotion to the role of captain should not come as a surprise after Gambhir’s appointment. After all, Gambhir had made him his deputy at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when Suryakumar was just 24 years old.

With PTI Inputs