Hardik Pandya breaks silence for the 1st time after Suryakumar Yadav's name pops up for India captaincy

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has shared a post on his social media handle about his 'difficult journey' amidst speculations regarding his removal from the T20I captaincy. Hardik Pandya shared his transformation journey since suffering a severe injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil.

Hardik Pandya was forced to withdraw from last year's World Cup due to an ankle injury. The Baroda all-rounder recovered from the setback and went on to captain the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Pandya then played a significant role in Team India's victory in the T20 World Cup 2024.

The 30-year-old cricketer delivered an all-round performance in the T20 World Cup. Pandya took 11 wickets in eight matches and scored 144 runs at an impressive strike rate of 151.57. The all-rounder took three crucial wickets in the final match against South Africa and successfully defended 16 runs in the last over.

Hard Work Doesn't Go Unnoticed - Hardik Pandya

On Wednesday, July 17, Hardik Pandya shared two pictures on Instagram, noting that it was a difficult journey after the freak 2023 World Cup injury. Pandya expressed delight at winning the T20 World Cup, stating that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

Pandya posted about his fitness journey amidst reports indicating that Suryakumar Yadav would replace Rohit Sharma as India's T20I captain. Pandya had notably served as Rohit's deputy during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

“Was a difficult journey after the freak 2023 WC injury but well worth the effort with the T20 WC win. The results come as long as you put in the effort. Hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Let’s all try our best and work on our fitness,” Hardik wrote.

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Hardik Pandya has experienced highs and lows over the past few months. He faced backlash after taking over from Rohit Sharma as the Mumbai Indians' captain. Pandya was booed by fans across venues, including the Wankhede Stadium. The MI team finished at the bottom of the table with just four wins.

Suryakumar Yadav To Replace Rohit Sharma As T20I Captain?

Following the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is, Hardik Pandya will take on a senior role in the team. Pandya was the frontrunner to replace Rohit as India's T20I captain. However, the latest reports suggest that Suryakumar Yadav is likely to lead the Indian T20I team in Sri Lanka.

“Although Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call, he made it amply clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a stumbling block. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official said.

Pandya brings more captaincy experience than Suryakumar. Pandya has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is. He also captained the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Meanwhile, Surya has captained India in seven T20Is. He led India to a 4-1 series win against Australia and a 1-1 draw in South Africa.

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