Suryakumar Yadav, recently announced as the captain of India for the upcoming shorter format series against Sri Lanka starting on July 27, has came as a surprise choice. Not long ago, Hardik Pandya was seen as the genuine contender for the T20I captaincy, especially after Rohit Sharma retired following the T20 World Cup win. There was a clear expectation that Pandya would succeed him.
However, with Suryakumar now leading the team, there has been a significant turnaround. What are the reasons that led to this change? Let’s see three possible key reasons why Suryakumar Yadav has been awarded the captaincy crown.
Why Suryakumar Yadav has been picked over Hardik Pandya
Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav’s relationship
Looking at the relationship between Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, it has always been positive. SKY first came into the limelight under Gambhir’s captaincy at the Kolkata Knight Riders. Gambhir has been vocal in praising Sky’s talent. And having spent considerable time with him and understanding Surya’s game better than Hardik Pandya. This understanding could be a key reason why Suryakumar Yadav is preferred over Hardik Pandya.
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Hardik Pandya’s injury concerns could also be a reason
Apart from a relational point of view, another noteworthy aspect is Hardik Pandya’s history of facing numerous injuries that have sidelined him from the Indian camp for extended periods. This includes incidents like sustaining an injury against Bangladesh during the 2023 50-over World Cup and during the Asia Cup in 2018. Also, India has struggled with a minor issue concerning the consistency of their T20I team’s captaincy.
They have seen multiple captains, and to address this, they might consider appointing Surya as captain for a longer period. He has been playing for nearly 3–4 years now and has shown consistent availability and performance.
Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy record also gives him a slight edge
Although Surya has captained fewer T20I matches than Hardik Pandya, he has shown stronger man-management and composure, qualities that are crucial for a good T20I captain. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, has been entrusted with the captaincy for 16 matches, winning 10 games with a 62.50% success rate.
However, in the recently announced squad, selectors opted for a long-term perspective and sustainability. As mentioned, India have struggled in the past to find consistent, long-standing captains in T20Is. With Surya in charge, BCCI might stick with him at least until the T20 World Cup in 2026.
Suryakumar Yadav captaincy record
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 |
