Hardik Pandya emerged second-best, as Suryakumar Yadav was announced as Team India's new captain for the T20 format. The decision was long-time pending after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format post India's T20 World Cup win.
As India entered a new era of T20I cricket, not only was Hardik Pandya not chosen as the skipper, but he was also removed from his role as vice-captain. Pandya was Rohit Sharma's deputy during the recent T20 World Cup but is now replaced by Shubman Gill, as India announced the squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
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Why was Hardik Pandya dropped as India's T20I captain?
The Indian selectors have chosen SKY, and not Pandya, as India's next leader in the T20 format. As per ESPNCricinfo, the selectors have cited Hardik's inconsistency due to fitness issues, as one of the major reasons for not making him the full-time skipper.
The 30-year-old has played in 46 out of the 79 T20 Internationals since 2022. Lasy year, Pandya was sidelined for four months, after suffering an ankle injury at the ODI World Cup 2023.
Suryakumar on the other hand, has been a mainstay in the T20I setup for years now and has also proved his mettle in the IPL, season after season. It is reported that head coach Gautam Gambhir seeks consistency, given the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
MORE: How has Suryakumar Yadav performed as captain in T20 cricket?
What next for Hardik Pandya?
Considering his seniority in the squad, Pandya was not selected as India's vice-captain in the T20 roster to face Sri Lanka. Pandya will be in action for the Men in Blue for T20Is but has reportedly made himself unavailable for selection for the upcoming ODI games against SL.
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