Hardik-Suryakumar captaincy drama: What happened behind the scenes

It was anticipated that Hardik Pandya, who led the Indian T20 team after the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup in Australia, would take over as captain for the 2024 T20 World Cup after he suffered an ankle injury during the 50-over World Cup in October 2023. When Pandya was leading the Mumbai Indians in the IPL in March, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had already decided to hold onto Rohit for an ICC tournament. Hardik Pandya was an integral part of the T20 World Cup 2024-winning team and contributed both with his bat and the ball.

There was a perspective, though, that it might have been unfair to not name the current T20 team vice captain as the new captain, given his excellent World Cup campaign. Some said that, despite the selection committee’s disapproval, Rohit elected to name Pandya as his deputy. A panellist expressed the opinion that while the BCCI and the selection committee recognise his value as a member of the Indian squad, they do not see him as a leader.

Also Read: ‘Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call’ – BCCI official on Hardik Pandya vs Suryakumar Yadav T20I captaincy race

Why Suryakumar Yadav has impressed the selectors over the last year?

There was also a claim that the selection committee, with a new chairman, did not have time to get the team prepared to play the next two years, and that was therefore the appropriate time to plan for the upcoming T20I cycle. As Suryakumar Yadav captained India in a T20 series in South Africa, his capacity to handle personnel came to the fore. The way he managed the players amazed the Indian selectors. Surya tried to convince Ishan Kishan to stay back when he decided on the choice to return home in the second half of the series, and this attracted the attention of key players. 

It has been reported that teammates are open to discussing things with Surya owing to his communication style, which is slightly similar to Rohit’s. Despite being in his mid-thirties, the 33-year-old cricketer has impressed the selectors over the last year with his demeanour, and they are currently considering him a trustworthy option for captaincy in the T20 format. However, Surya is not included in the ODI team, and the BCCI press release gave no reason for this. 

Also Read: No Suryakumar Yadav in ODI squad: Report reveals reason for T20I captain’s snub

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube