The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the rationale behind appointing Suryakumar Yadav as Team India's T20I captain during a press conference in Mumbai on Monday, July 22.
Suryakumar officially succeeded Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain when the BCCI announced squads for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27. Rohit announced his retirement from the T20Is after leading the Men in Blue to T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados last month.
Suryakumar Yadav was the first choice for the selectors to take up captaincy duties in the shortest format of the game for Team India as they did not consider Hardik Pandya for the role due to his fitness concerns.
'Deserving candidate': Agarkar on Suryakumar
Speaking at the press conference before Team India's departure to Sri Lanka, Ajit Agarkar emphasized the reason behind Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as T20I captain, stating that they were looking for a skipper who will play all the matches. He added that Suryakumar is deserving candidate for T20I captaincy.
"Suryakumar Yadav was made the captain because he is one of the most deserving candidates. We have been getting the feedback from the dressing room." BCCI chief selector said.
"He is one of the best T20I batters. Obviously, one of the main issues was you want a captain who is likely to play all the games. We think, he is a deserving candidate. Hopefully, we will see over time how he develops into the role." he added.
The upcoming Sri Lanka T20I series will not be the first time Suryakumar Yadav leads the team. The flamboyant right-handed batter previously led the Men in Blue in the three-match T20I series against South Africa, which ended in a 1-1 draw after the first T20I was washed out.
'Hardik Pandya is an important player for us': Ajit Agarkar
Speaking about Hardik Pandya, the chief selector Agarkar asserted that the star all-rounder is a crucial player for Team India despite he has not been appointed as the captain or vice-captain for the Sri Lanka series.
Apart from losing T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik lost deputy leader role to Shubman Gill, who has been appointed as the vice-captain for white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the press conference, Ajit Agarkar stated that Hardik's fitness has been a challenge for him.
"Hardik Pandya is a very important player, we have seen it in the World Cup and we need him, but his fitness is a big challenge now. I think we can manage him better. He is still part of our team. Surya Kumar Yadav has all the necessary abilities to be the captain" he said.
