Kris Srikkanth Rejects Fitness as Reason for Hardik Pandya’s T20I Captaincy Snub

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Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth believes that Hardik Pandya was not snubbed from the T20I captaincy of the Indian cricket team due to fitness issues, as claimed by the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, and the newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir.

Notably, Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2024, was the front-runner to take over the reins after Rohit Sharma. However, he was overlooked, and Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the T20 international captain of Team India.

In a press conference held on the day Team India flew to Sri Lanka for the three-match T20 and ODI series, Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir stated that since Hardik Pandya is very injury-prone and often misses games, he was not selected as the T-20 captain of Team India.

However, the World Cup-winning member of Team India, Kris Srikkanth, on his YouTube channel, said that the selectors likely received feedback from the dressing room, based on this year’s Indian Premier League, where Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians finished last.

“I think they have gone by the feedback from the dressing room. It must have probably been from the IPL. Fitness is something that I will not agree with. He played the entire IPL. He also bowled. Yes, he might not have done well (in the IPL). That’s another issue. Mumbai Indians didn’t qualify. At the World Cup, he was the vice-captain and he played well. So, fitness is something that I won’t agree with,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

“Feedback from the dressing room? I am not able to understand that. Yes, Suryakumar has the qualities to be captain. I agree with that. He could prove to be a very good captain. But the reasons for dropping Hardik Pandya as captain are beating around the bush in terms of the reasoning.”

Make it clear, say it without fear – Kris Srikkanth’s Message to Indian management 

Kris Srikkanth says that the Indian management should have come forward and made it clear that they are appointing Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the team because they want to move past Hardik Pandy. 

“Suryakumar is a fantastic person. I like him. So is Hardik. But the reasons that they are giving, they could have said it in a straightforward manner: ‘We are dropping Hardik Pandya as captain, we want to move forward. We are looking at Suryakumar as a long term.’ Make it clear. Say it without fear.”

“I have also been chairman. I have picked players, dropped players, and faced a lot of criticism. I am not saying I was God, I have also made mistakes. But you have to give a good explanation. I am not convinced by the reasoning,” he asserted.

Suryakumar Yadav will be leading India in the three-match T-20I series against Sri Lanka, with Shubman Gill appointed as his deputy. This series is also the first assignment for Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.

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