After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the new captain of the Indian T20I setup for the tour to Sri Lanka, the conversation around why Hardik Pandya was snubbed became a hot topic. According to latest reports, the Indian all-rounder lost his chance to captain the Indian T20I team due to his fitness concerns and the workload management issues.
As per the ESPNcricinfo, after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, who had both captained the national team in the shortest format, were in the fray to be the next captain. But, the questions surrounding the fitness and workload led to the BCCI naming Suryakumar in the leadership role instead of Hardik.
Notably, Suryakumar Yadav led India to a 4-1 win in the T20I series last year at home against Australia in the absence of Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. Meanwhile, the consistency of SKY as the batter in the T20I format, reaching the number one on the ICC world rankings, was another positive factor for him, which ultimately led to his appointment as the captain of the Indian cricket team on tour to Sri Lanka.
Some reports further stated that many of the Indian players favoured Suryakumar Yadav instead of Hardik Pandya as skipper. It is also important to note that the vice-captain role has gone to Shubman Gill on the upcoming Sri Lankan tour, demoting Hardik Pandya in the conversation for the leadership role.
The three-match T20I between Sri Lanka and India is set to begin on July 27, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.