"Wouldn’t have made Hardik Pandya captain"- New Zealand legend backs Gautam Gambhir's decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to not appoint Hardik Pandya as Team India's T20I captain. Scott Styris highlighted that Hardik Pandya should focus on maintaining fitness and improving his skills in batting and bowling.

Hardik Pandya was expected to become India's T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format. He was vice-captain of India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign in the West Indies and the USA. Pandya also delivered with both bat and ball in the tournament to end India's ICC trophy drought.

The 30-year-old cricketer was stripped of leadership roles when the BCCI named Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain. The selection committee and Gautam Gambhir expressed concerns about Pandya's fitness and frequent injuries. Agarkar revealed that the board wanted a captain to play all matches.

That's A Smart Choice Solely For One Reason - Scott Styris

Scott Styris said that the additional responsibilities might impact Hardik Pandya's performance and fitness. Styris described Pandya as India’s best all-rounder and wants him to be consistently fit. He added that Hardik can take on captaincy duties later.

“I wouldn’t have personally made Hardik Pandya my captain either. I think that’s a smart choice solely for one reason, and that is as an all-rounder. And skills-wise wise he is India’s best all-rounder. He is phenomenal. But you want him to be consistently fit,” Styris told News18.

“At the moment, how he’s in and out with his injuries, you know, bowling is really hard. It takes a lot out of you and your body. So sometimes, adding all the responsibility of captaincy is not necessarily a good thing because there’s just too much to do. I’d love to see Hardik Pandya just concentrate on getting those skills right, batting and bowling. And then you can look at captaincy a little bit later,” he added.

Suryakumar Yadav led the Indian team to a convincing 43-run victory in his first match as India's permanent captain. The Men in Blue posted a formidable total of 213 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Suryakumar scored 58 runs off 26 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries and two sixes.

Hardik Pandya failed to make an impact with both bat and ball during the series opener. Pandya managed to score nine runs off 10 deliveries. He gave away 41 runs in his four overs without taking any wickets. Surya was named "Player of the Match" for his brilliant batting performance in Pallekele on July 27.

The Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The second T20I match is scheduled to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, July 28. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team will be hoping to secure the series victory with one match remaining.

Also read: 'Your team will be weaker' - Scott Styris' blunt message to Gautam Gambhir on Jasprit Bumrah's absence