Ajit Agarkar blackmailed BCCI to resign if Hardik Pandya was named India's T20 captain

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly backed Suryakumar Yadav to become captain of India's T20I team after Rohit Sharma's retirement.

According to reports, Ajit Agarkar even threatened to resign from his role if Hardik Pandya was named the T20I captain.

Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shortest international format after guiding the team to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Hardik Pandya was expected to become the permanent T20I captain. Notably, Pandya led most of the T20Is in 2023 and was vice-captain in the T20 World Cup.

There were intense discussions among the BCCI selection committee and officials, including Secretary Jay Shah, over appointing the new T20I captain.

Several reports suggested Hardik was the frontrunner to replace Rohit Sharma, while some claimed Suryakumar was leading the race for the role.

The debate between Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav over the T20I captaincy ended with the squad announcement for the series against Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar Yadav was named captain of the Indian T20I side, with Shubman Gill as his vice-captain. Hardik was not given any leadership role.

Ajit Agarkar Threatened To Resign If Suryakumar Yadav Wasn't Named Captain

As per the latest news reports, there were disagreements within the BCCI regarding the T20I captaincy.

Cricblogger.com revealed that Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir strongly supported Suryakumar Yadav, while BCCI secretary Jay Shah backed Hardik Pandya for the captaincy.

The report further added that Ajit Agarkar threatened to resign if his preferred choice, Suryakumar Yadav, wasn't appointed as India's T20I captain.

Gautam Gambhir also supported Agarkar's stance. Jay Shah was pressured to accept the decision made by the two former cricketers.

Fitness Is A Clear Challenge - Ajit Agarkar

In a press conference before Team India departed for Sri Lanka, Ajit Agarkar revealed why Suryakumar Yadav was named T20I captain.

He highlighted Hardik Pandya's fitness issues and his unavailability for every series before the T20 World Cup 2026.

“Regarding Hardik, he's still a very important player for us,” Agarkar said. “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, about whether their role has changed. And yeah we've spoken to him," he added.

The Men in Blue secured a 3-0 T20I series win against Sri Lanka under Suryakumar Yadav.

Gautam Gambhir invited Hardik Pandya to speak in the dressing room after the T20I series win. Hardik praised Suryakumar's captaincy. Pandya did not participate in the ODI matches of the same tour.

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