Having played the T20 World Cup 2024 as vice-captain, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was one of the front-runners to take over the leadership mantle after Rohit Sharma retired from the shortest format last month.
However, when the squad for the current Sri Lanka tour was announced, Hardik was listed only as a player, with Suryakumar Yadav being handed the T20I captaincy.
Not only this, Hardik also lost his vice-captaincy in both white-ball formats, with Shubman Gill being named deputy in ODIs and T20Is.
In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com, former India pacer Ashish Nehra called the decision a 'big surprise.'
"It is a decision of the coach and selection committee. It came as a big surprise, obviously. 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," Nehra said.
Notably, Hardik Pandya was overlooked for the leadership role due to fitness issues as chief selector Ajit Agarkar categorically stated in the media last week that they preferred a player whose availability was consistently reliable.
The T20I series against Sri Lanka not only marked the start of Suryakumar’s full-time T20I captaincy stint but also Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India head coach.
Surya shares a strong bond with Gambhir, having player under the latter’s captaincy at KKR in his early IPL days. He was also made KKR’s vice-captain at one point.
When asked if Gambhir sees Suryakumar as a long-term T20I captaincy prospect, Nehra replied: "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 T20Is, India will play 5 or 6 T20Is this year. Surya has been part of the Indian side for a while. Rohit is there in the Indian side and will be leading in the other two formats - ODIs and Tests. Virat is there too. After winning the World Cup, this is a good transition in the Indian team. You have a lot of replacements," he added.
"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 see 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," Nehra concluded.
Under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, Team India have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead against Sri Lanka in the ongoing three-T20I series. The dead-rubber third T20I is currently taking place in Pallekele.
(With TOI Inputs)
