It’s tough to be Hardik Pandya at this point of time. The star all-rounder, who played a big role in Indian cricket team winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, has been effectively kept out of the leadership group for the upcoming T20Is against Sri Lanka. On the personal front, on Thursday, Pandya parted ways with wife Natasa Stankovic. Now, Suryakumar Yadav will be India’s designated captain in T20Is with Shubman Gill being his deputy. 

Pandya, India’s vice-captain at the 2024 T20 World Cup, now finds himself in an interesting spot. A Hindustan Times report has said that Pandya’s place in the ODIs is also not guaranteed. The report quoted a BCCI official as saying that Gambhir called Pandya and told him to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy to prove his bowling fitness.     

“Hardik was also reminded by Gambhir on the call, that he was looking forward to see him bowl his full quota in ODIs,” the report quoted a BCCI official as saying. 

Meanwhile, in an interview to news agency IANS, former Indian cricket team star Mohammad Kaif 

“I think Hardik Pandya ‘shayad captain banne chahiye the’ (for Sri Lanka tour). Hardik has captained the Gujarat Titans for two years and in their first year itself, they made it to the final…Hardik has experience captaining the T20I side. He was also the vice-captain at the T20 World Cup. Now, a new coach has arrived, there will be new planning. Surya is also a good player, he has been playing for years. He is a No.1 T20 player, I hope he will shoulder the captain’s responsibility well. But I feel they should have backed Hardik,” Kaif said.

“Gambhir is an experienced captain and coach…He understands cricket very well. I think ‘Hardik ne aisa koi galat kaam nhi kia ki unko captaincy na mile’ (Hardik has not done anything wrong that he should not get the captaincy). He has experience, has captained in the IPL and leading a new team (Gujarat Titans) to the trophy, with fresh and young faces, which is a huge thing. He has made the Titans win by working from Ground Zero in the IPL…I think he was entitled to the captaincy. So let’s just wait and see.”