'Say It Without Fear': Ex-Chief Selector Does Not Believe Agarkar Over Hardik Pandya Captaincy Snub

India tour of Sri Lanka: Gautam Gambhir is all set to lead the Indian team through a transitional phase. In the post Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli era, the Indian team, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and Head Coach Gambhir will face their first litmus test in Africa. The Indian team will play 6 limited overs matches with 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. SKY will lead India in the T20Is whereas Rohit Sharma will marshal troops in the ODI format.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth Is Baffled By The Great Hardik Snub

Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar announced India's T20I squad to take on Sri Lanka. What came as a surprise was Hardik Pandya's removal as Team India's captain from the T20I side. Interestingly, Pandya was India's vice-captain in their victorious World T20 captain, with Rohit calling it quits from the shortest international format, it was always perceived that Hardik will be India's next skipper in T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav being appointed as the T20I captain came as a shock to many including 1983 World Cup winner and former India skipper K. Srikkanth. The former India skipper, while speaking on his YouTube channel expressed that he was not at all convinced with any of the reasons given for preferring SKY as the T20I skipper over Hardik Pandya.

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'I think they have gone from the feedback of the dressing room. It must have probably been from the IPL. Fitness is something that I will not agree. 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', said Srikkanth

Tough Transition For World Champions

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India were recently crowned as the World T20 Champions on June 29, 2024. This was their second T20 World Cup win across the nine editions of the tournament. Soon after India won the T20 WC, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the shortest international format. India, starting from the Sri Lanka tour will play the T20Is without their three biggest stars and matchwinners and hence it will not be an easy road for them to transition to a new era.