Srinagar: BCCI is yet to decide on Team India T20 caotain with new coach Gautam Gambhir to have his vote on to chose between Hardik Pandya, Surya Kumar Yadav and Shubman Gill.
BCCI is in a fix about Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. Pandya was the vice-captain of the Indian side that won the T20 World Cup last month in the Caribbean. After regular skipper Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format following the triumphant run that ended India’s 13-year-long wait for a World Cup trophy, Pandya naturally emerged as the frontrunner to take over the reins. But things are not that simple in the BCCI at the moment.
According to a report in The Indian Express, everyone in the board and the selection committee are not on the same page. And the main reason for that is Pandya’s dubious fitness standards.
Despite being the country’s top seam-bowling all-rounder by some distance – He was instrumental in India’s T20 World Cup-winning run with contributions with either the bat or ball or, at times, both in almost every match – and an outright match-winner in white-ball cricket, the board officials are a bit sceptical about naming Pandya as the permanent T20I captain. The main reason behind that is his fitness.
Pandya has suffered multiple serious injuries in his eight-year-long international career, so much so that he has decided not to play red-ball cricket at all.