'Gambhir didn't want to work with...': Why Hardik Pandya is a 'stumbling block' in India's T20I transition

Gautam Gambhir and Hardik Pandya

When India won the World Cup, and soon after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shorter format, the question which intrigued the most was, who will be the next T20I captain? Hardik Pandya appeared to be the imminent option, having already proved his mettle both in international and the IPL stage. Also he was the deputy to Rohit in the T20 World Cup, so many believed he would be the one taking over the mantle.

However, with Gautam Gambhir entering the picture as the new head coach, things have now taken a big twist. Hardik is no longer a frontrunner and there has been a surprise entry. Suryakumar Yadav, the current No. 1 ranked T20I batter, is being preferred over the premier all-rounder, despite Hardik's CV boasting of a rich experience.

The reason behind it being simple - Hardik's irregularities due to injuries. In fact it is learnt that the incoming coach made it clear to the management that he would not like to work with a captain, whose fitness could potentially become a "stumbling block".

Also Read | 'Not only for SL series but till next T20 World Cup': Suryakumar Yadav overtakes Hardik Pandya in captaincy race

“Although Gambhir did not directly pitch for Surya in the call, he made it amply clear that he would want to work with a captain whose workload does not become a stumbling block. Agarkar was clear with his views,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The premier all-rounder has been prone to injuries, and was forced to leave the ODI World Cup midway due to an ankle injury. And since remained out of action, only to return at the start of IPL 2024. If we look at the numbers, Hardik featured in 46 of the 79 T20Is India played since the beginning of 2022.

Despite this Hardik has received some backing. In the same report by Hindustan Times, it stated that that the selection committee is known to be split on the subject. They have expressed Hardik to be appointed as the new captain by virtue of him being Rohit's deputy at the T20 World Cup. Hardik's performance at the World Cup was also highlighted with few claiming it to be redeeming after a poor IPL.

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If we look at Suryakumar, he and Gambhir share a long history. The 360 degree batter was an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders' setup, when Gambhir was the skipper. While there is no doubt  about Suryakumar's batting potential but he is certainly far behind in terms of captaincy. The middle-order batter has led India in seven T20Is so far and has no experience of leading a team in the IPL. Also age is a big factor as Suryakumar turns 35 in a couple of months, so even if he is appointed as a captain, there is no guarantee on how long he can sustain before BCCI starts searching for other options.