'Has been injury-prone...' - Robin Uthappa claims Hardik Pandya losing T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav is 'best thing'

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa advised all-rounder Hardik Pandya not to feel disheartened about losing the T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav. Robin Uthappa stated that Hardik Pandya should view the change positively and focus on contributing to the national cricket team for as long as possible.

Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format after guiding the Men in Blue to the title in the T20 World Cup 2024. Hardik Pandya was considered a front-runner in succeeding Rohit as India's T20I captain. Notably, the Baroda all-rounder led the Indian team in T20Is from December 2022 to October 2023.

The 30-year-old all-rounder also served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup 2024. However, new coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar appointed Suryakumar Yadav as T20I skipper. Agarkar cited Pandya's past injuries and workload management as reasons for Surya’s appointment.

The Best Chance To Offer Services To My Country - Robin Uthappa

Speaking to reporters in a virtual interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network, Robin Uthappa stated that losing the captaincy will help Hardik Pandya extend his career and contribute effectively to the team in the long term.

"If I were in Hardik's place, I would actually feel taken care of to a certain extent. If I'm 34-35 years old and I'm someone who's been injury-prone through my career and a certain responsibility has been taken away from me with the mindset of extending my career and giving me the best chance to offer my services to my country for as long as possible, keeping that in view, I would actually say OK this is the best thing for me," said Uthappa (via India Today).

Hardik Pandya is an irreplaceable player in the Indian team for white-ball formats. The Mumbai Indians skipper provides balance to the squad with his bowling and batting. He was instrumental in India's win in the T20 World Cup 2024, scoring 144 runs in eight games and securing 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.64.

I Would Pick As A Human Being - Robin Uthappa

The cricketer-turned-commentator said that if he were in Hardik Pandya's position, he would prioritize extending his career over captaining the team. Uthappa expressed that Hardik would accept the decision positively, as serving the country and winning titles would be more important than the role of captain.

"If you asked me between the two what I would pick as a human being, I would say, serving my country and winning as many World Cup championships, irrespective of whether I was a captain or whether I was just a player. Knowing Hardik Pandya on a certain level, I would say he'd be someone saying it's fine, their perspective is also right. They want a player of my quality and my caliber to be able to serve my country for as long as possible. And I would love to do that as well."

Hardik Pandya will next be seen in action during the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the first match scheduled to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27. The all-rounder opted for a break from the three-match ODI series during the same tour of Sri Lanka.

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