BCCI’s chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, explained the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as India’s new T20I captain over Hardik Pandya. Agarkar emphasized that while Hardik remains a crucial player for the team, his fitness challenges influenced the decision. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently named Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain of the T20I team, with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup. The top-ranked T20I batter was chosen over Hardik Pandya to succeed Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format following India’s T20 World Cup victory last month in Barbados.
“Regarding Hardik, he’s still a very important player for us. Fitness has obviously been a challenge for him… Then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors. Fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who is available more often than not. Having said that, we believe Surya has the qualities necessary to be a captain. We also feel we can manage Hardik better, we’ve seen what he can do with the bat and ball in the World Cup… We speak to every player, whether their role has changed. And yeah we’ve spoken to him,” Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors said in the press conference, addressing why the star batter was preferred over Hardik Pandya.
Hardik, who was widely expected to take on the leadership role after serving as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, was informed of the decision prior to the official squad announcement for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Despite his captaincy experience with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, where he led the team to two finals and a trophy in their debut season, concerns about his fitness played a significant role in the selectors’ decision.
During his time at Gujarat Titans, Hardik received guidance from former India cricketer Ashish Nehra, but similar support was not available under Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher. Despite backing from Boucher, Hardik faced challenges, including crowd reactions and media speculation about a rift within the Mumbai Indians’ dressing room. In addition to his IPL leadership, Hardik has led India in 16 T20Is and three ODIs during Rohit Sharma’s absence.
