It is such a bummer that while Hardik Pandya was recently phenomenal in the just-concluded T20 World Cup, the BCCI has awarded the Indian T20I captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav.
Although the decision may not sit well with some, former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris says it is a good move. He says that Pandya has always been a fitness and injury concern. ‘I wouldn’t have personally made Hardik Pandya my captain either,’ Styris said to News18.
There is no doubt about Pandya’s talent as India’s go-to all-rounder. However, it seems team management cares more about having the star player as a regular part of the system, with Indian cricket’s two-star pacers, Bumrah and Shami, whose future is far from certain.
’These fast bowling stocks are the one area where India possibly requires a little bit more help; that is why I like the selection of these youngsters,’ Styris commented on the importance of Pandya’s role as the sixth bowler.
Through demoting Pandya from the captaincy position, the team’s management aims to let the all-rounder sharpen his abilities and always be fit for play, which can prove very useful in the long run.
Alternating the Indian cricket captaincy has been a strategic move as youngsters come onto the scene; thus, giving the baton to Surya is a smart move for the future to build around Pandya, who is quickly becoming an all-rounder of great importance for the team.
