Ajit Agarkar issues official reason on why Suryakumar Yadav was picked ahead of Hardik Pandya as India's T20I captain

In a surprising yet bold move, Suryakumar Yadav has been picked as Team India captain over Hardik Pandya in T20I cricket. The decision was made by the Indian selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir last week.

As the Indian Cricket Team set to travel to Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series, Agar opened up about the several crucial factors influencing the decision to choose Suryakumar as India’s T20I captain over Hardik, despite the dynamic all-rounder's winning percentage of 62%.

Well, Pandya, known for his exceptional all-round skills, has always been a valuable asset to the Indian cricket team. His ability to contribute both with the bat and ball makes him a very special player, but in terms of captaincy, one of the main challenges has been his fitness.

Hardik Pandya is always an important player for us, but Surya has all the necessary qualities to be the captain: Ajit Agarkar

The fitness issues have affected his availability for the Men in Blue, and this factor has made it difficult for the Indian selectors to make him a regular captain for T20I cricket. Agarkar emphasized that while Pandya’s performances are of utmost importance, the team needs a leader who is likely to be available for most matches, and they found all the qualities in Suryakumar for the role.

However, the Indian chief selector reiterated that the major reason behind not appointing Hardik as India’s T20I was his fitness, but revealed that the dressing room feedback played a major role in Suryakumar getting the role apart from his batting skills and availability.

Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference in Mumbai: “Surya is a deserving candidate. Got feedback from dressing room. Best T20 player. Wanted a captain likely to play all games. Hardik is always an important player for us. Those skillsets are hard to find. Fitness has been a challenge with him. Hopefully his performances are more important than anything else. We want someone who is likely to be available more often than not. Saying all that, Surya has got all the necessary qualities to be the captain.”

Hardik Pandya has a great record as T20I captain

In 2023, Hardik Pandya stepped up as captain for India in T20 internationals during Rohit Sharma’s absence from the format. He also took the helm in several ODIs when the regular captain was unavailable.

Over 16 T20I matches, Pandya led Team India to 10 victories, facing five losses, and had one match end in a tie, as he has a win percentage of 62.50 in T20I cricket. On the other hand, Pandya played a crucial role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

The star all-rounder amassed 144 runs across six innings at an average of 48.00 and a striking rate of 151.57. Additionally, Pandya claimed 11 wickets in eight matches at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.64, with the best bowling figures of 3/20 in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa.