Why BCCI select Suryakumar over Hardik Pandya as India T20I Captain
Following the T20 World Cup 2024 victory, veteran Rohit Sharma declared his retirement from the shorter format, the Board of Control for Cricket in India chose Surya Kumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya as captain.
Hardik Pandya, the designated vice-captain of team India in the T20 World Cup 2024, was supposed to be the next captain after Rohit Sharma, but the BCCI selected Surya Kumar Yadav as the captain of the Indian T20I team.
The Chief Selector of BCCI stated that in the press conference, BCCI needs a captain wo can play all the matches for the team who could be available more often on the ground. Surya showed exceptional batting skill, consistency in the game, and having ability to handle situations made him the better choice to become the captain.
On the other hand, Hardik Pandya, who is well known for his all-round performance, is very exceptional with the bat and the ball, which makes him an important asset for the team India, but his fitness is a main concern that also affected his regular participation in past two years.
Accordingly, Ajit Agarkar the chief selector of BCCI said in the press conference.
“We want a captain who can play all the games. His skill set difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him. It became difficult for a coach and a selector. We have time till the next T20 World Cup. Fitness is clear challenge. We want someone who is likely to be available more often than not. Surya has the qualities needed to succeed as a captain,” in the press conference.
Comparing Surya’s ability to became captain over Hardik for T20I squad, BCCI chief selector Ajit said” He is one of the deserving candidates, He is one of the best T20 batters in the world. We feel that Surya has all the necessary qualities to be a good captain. We wanted a captain, who is likely to play all the games,” “Surya has the necessary ability to lead the team. We wanted a captain who is around. We will see how he will do in two years.”
Therefore, the fitness concerns of Hardik Pandya gave an edge to Surya Kumar Yadav to become the captain of team India for T20I series against Sri Lanka.
