"Fitness isn't a concern, Can't Understand Why"- Ex India Chief Selector rips apart Ajit Agarkar for Suryakumar Yadav vs Hardik Pandya

Former Indian opening batter Kris Srikkanth heaped praise on middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav for his leadership qualities ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka. However, Kris Srikkanth is confused about the reasons behind removing all-rounder Hardik Pandya from the T20I captaincy.

Hardik Pandya was expected to be named T20I captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement. However, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir backed Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain. Shubman Gill was appointed vice-captain despite Hardik being part of the T20I team.

In a press conference on Monday, Ajit Agarkar stated that Suryakumar Yadav was named T20I captain after receiving positive feedback from the dressing room. Agarkar also said that they wanted the captain to be available for all matches and highlighted Hardik Pandya's fitness issues over the past few years.

Not Able To Understand That - Kris Srikkanth

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth stated that Suryakumar Yadav could prove to be a very good captain, given his leadership qualities. Srikkanth said that the reasons provided for removing Hardik Pandya from the captaincy were unclear.

"Feedback from the dressing room? I am not able to understand that. Yes, Suryakumar has the qualities to be captain. I agree to that. He could prove to be a very good captain. But the reasons for dropping Hardik Pandya as captain are beating around the bush in terms of the reasoning," Srikkanth said.

Hardik Pandya captained India in T20Is after the 2022 T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue suffered a 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-final of the 2022 edition. The Baroda-born cricketer led the Indian team in 16 T20I matches. He guided the national team to 10 wins and suffered five losses, with one ending in a tie.

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed captain in the T20I series against Australia in the absence of the injured Hardik. Yadav led the team against Australia and South Africa. He led the team in seven games, winning five and losing two. The team won the series against Australia, while the series ended in a draw in South Africa.

Hardik Pandya Played The Entire IPL - Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth disagreed with Ajit Agarkar's fitness concerns as a reason for removing Hardik Pandya from captaincy. The former cricketer added that Pandya played the entire IPL and the T20 World Cup 2024 as an all-rounder.

"I think they have gone from the feedback of the dressing room. It must have probably been from the IPL. Fitness is something that I will not agree with. He played the entire IPL. He also bowled. Yes, he might not have done well (in the IPL). That's another issue. Mumbai Indians didn't qualify. At the World Cup, he was the vice-captain and he played well. So, fitness is something that I won't agree with," Srikkanth added.

Hardik performed exceptionally well in the T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter amassed 144 runs in six innings with an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 151.57, including a half-century. He took 11 wickets in eight games at an average of 17.36 and an economy rate of 7.64, with his best figures of 3/20.

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