Why Hardik Pandya Was Overlooked for India Captaincy Under Coach Gautam Gambhir – Explained

The Indian cricket squad for the Sri Lanka tour, starting July 27 with a T20I in Pallekele, has been announced. This series marks Gautam Gambhir’s debut as head coach of the Indian cricket team, and the chosen squads for the three T20Is and three ODIs are quite intriguing. The most notable development is that Suryakumar Yadav, not Hardik Pandya, will captain the team in the T20Is against Sri Lanka.

Previously, Yadav has captained the Indian T20I team against South Africa and Australia. Pandya, who served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, was widely expected to be the next in line for the captaincy. However, with Yadav’s appointment, it appears that Gambhir and his team are considering the Mumbai Indians batter as a long-term captaincy prospect. Interestingly, Hardik Pandya has not even been named vice-captain; Shubman Gill has taken on that role.

According to a report by PTI, Suryakumar Yadav might be in line to lead the team until the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Why was Hardik Pandya, a key player in India’s T20 World Cup victory, overlooked for the captaincy?

According to ESPNCricinfo, “fitness concerns and workload management tipped the scales” against Pandya. The star all-rounder took a lengthy break following a freak ankle injury at the ODI World Cup 2023 and made his comeback during the IPL. Pandya has frequently missed tournaments due to injuries, which influenced the management’s decision.

Currently, Pandya is India’s premier fast-bowling all-rounder and a valuable asset. The decision to manage his workload is understandable given his injury history.