R Sridhar and Suryakumar Yadav. (Source – Twitter/X)
India’s fielding coach R Sridhar provided insights into BCCI’s decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format after lifting the T20 World Cup in June.
The intense race for India’s T20I captaincy came to an end after Suryakumar was entrusted with the role last month. Under his leadership, India whitewashed Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series in Pallekele. While the cricket fraternity congratulated the flamboyant batter for his promotion, some were surprised to see Hardik Pandya, who was Rohit’s deputy during the T20 World Cup, not getting the nod.
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BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that workload management was one of the most important factors behind Suryakumar’s appointment ahead of Hardik, whose struggles with injuries are well-documented. Now, Sridhar has spoken along the same lines, mentioning that Suryakumar’s availability not being a concern made him the safer option.
“The very fact that Surya is someone who will be on the park for every match India is playing and not being bothered about workload monitoring is something which has tilted the scales in his favour, in terms of captaincy,” Sridhar told Hindustan Times.
Before taking up full-time capacity, Suryakumar captained India in seven T20Is in an interim role and the Men in Blue won five out of those games. Sridhar said that the BCCI was pleased with his performance in that phase.
“Some of the matches he has captained India when Rohit and Hardik were not available, has given confidence to the BCCI that he can do an excellent job,” Sridhar stated.
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I am sure Hardik will come back: R Sridhar
Sridhar praised the Baroda all-rounder’s performances in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. Hardik amassed 144 runs at a strike rate of over 150 and also picked up 11 wickets.
“I am sure Hardik will come back. He has just won you a World Cup, bowling two crucial overs between 16 and 20. The last over obviously was fabulous from an Indian perspective. If he has got niggles, he will come back like how he has before,” Sridhar said.
Hardik played in the T20I series against Sri Lanka under Suryakumar’s captaincy last month but opted out of the ongoing ODI series due to personal reasons.