Gautam Gambhir's bias for Suryakumar Yadav denied Hardik Pandya T20I captaincy? Ashish Nehra makes a big claim

Former India pacer Ashish Nehra talked about Hardik Pandya not getting the T20I captaincy despite being the vice-captain of the team. He said that the all-rounder doesn't play all three formats, and this might be the reason behind him not getting the leadership.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya wasn't named the captain of the T20I team despite being the vice-captain in the T20 World Cup 2024. The team management and the BCCI went with Suryakumar Yadav as the leader of the team ahead of Pandya, who also is the captain of Mumbai Indians.

Hardik Pandya was given the responsibility to lead the team when the seniors were rested. The all-rounder did a great job as he captained the team to the famous series wins. It was almost certain that he would be succeeding Rohit Sharma after he announced his retirement from the T20Is.

During the press conference, when asked about Hardik Pandya's snub as captain, chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned that Hardik Pandya's injury history and workload management were major factors behind his not getting captaincy. He also mentioned that 'dressing room feedback' was taken into consideration to name Suryakumar as captain.

Ashish Nehra was asked about the same, and according to him, it was the decision of the captain and coach, but Hardik Pandya not getting the leadership was a big surprise. While calling the all-rounder an important player, he also stressed that Rohit Sharma is the main captain of the team. Speaking to the Times of India, he explained:

"It is a decision of the coach and selection committee. It came as a big surprise. It can be because he is not that fit, he doesn't play many matches, he plays just one format - this can be one of the reasons. But Hardik Pandya is a very important player in the Indian setup when you talk about white-ball cricket and when he is fit,"

"I am not sure whether he is a long-term or short-term prospect. It all depends on his captaincy, form, and most importantly, his equation with the coach and the selection committee. He is a captain in T20Is. The main captain is Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill has been announced as his deputy. If you look at 20ls, India will play 5 or 6 T20ls this year. Surya has been part of the Indian side for a while."

I am sure captain Surya will do well under coach GG - Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra further said that Gautam Gambhir has full trust in the capabilities of Suryakumar Yadav as they have worked together at KKR. He expressed his confidence in the new head coach and T20I captain. He added:"Rohit is there in the Indian side and will be leading in the other two formats - ODis and Tests. Virat is there too. Winning the World Cup is a good transition for the Indian team. You have a lot of replacements. Surya played at KKR when GG was there. So, it's not like a new coach has come in and Surya has become a new skipper.

"It's because they know each other well. GG knows Surya's capabilities and strengths as a player and captain. If we look at other countries, they have had three different captains or two different captains for a long time. I am sure captain Surya will do well under coach GG," he concluded.