When Suryakumar Yadav opted to be the T20 captain of Team India after Rohit Sharma left the spot, fans were furious, as they thought Hardik Pandya deserved the captaincy. Some even feared that there could be a potential rift in the team, just like what happened in the Mumbai Indians when Hardik substituted Rohit as the captain.
Watch: Hardik Pandya Meets Suryakumar Yadav
With the talks being active on the internet for a couple of days, both cricketers were spotted together at the airport when the Indian team was leaving for Sri Lanka for the T20I and ODI series. They shared a warm hug, which could potentially put the fear of a rift in the team to bed.
Facing questions about Hardik’s snub from the captaincy, chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar said in the press conference that it was Hardik Pandya’s fitness concerns that played a role in the decision.
“Suryakumar was one of the deserving candidates to lead the Indian team, and we went ahead with him. I haven’t seen him struggling fitness-wise or in the batting department. Hardik is a key player for us, but his fitness has been an issue for a long time, and we want him to contribute as a player,” Agarkar said.
“He (Hardik) is still a very important player for us, and we want him to be the player that he can be because those sorts of skill sets are very difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years, and then it becomes a bit more difficult for a coach or even us, the selectors.”
“We have got enough time to try out new things before the 2026 T20 World Cup. The captaincy decision was not taken overnight. We have been discussing it for some time now. SKY can take the team forward.”
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