Ajit Agarkar threatened to resign if Hardik Pandya was named T20I captain of India, backed SKY aggressively

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Heated arguments and discussions took place as the BCCI selection committee and other officials of the BCCI including secretary Jay Shah sat down to appoint the new T20I captain of the Indian cricket team ahead of their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.

Several reports had emerged ahead of the Indian squad announcement for the Sri Lanka tour which consisted of three T20I and ODI matches each. Some claimed that Hardik Pandya was all set to take the role after Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format, while others claimed that it was Suryakumar Yadav, who was ahead in the race.

It has now come to the fore that the varied reports were the result of the arguments going within the BCCI. Cricblooger.com has reported that chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir were batting aggressively for Suryakumar Yadav, but Hardik Pandya also had a few supporters including BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

As per the report, Ajit Agarkar also threatened to resign from his post if his suggestion was not considered and Hardik Pandya was named India T20I captain. The strong reluctance shown by Agarkar, combined with the backing of head coach Gautam Gambhir, left Jay Shah with no option but to agree to the choice of two former cricketers.

The seesaw contest between Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav ended once the squad was announced on July 18. 'C' of captain was mentioned besides the name of Suryakumar Yadav. Shubman Gill was named his vice-captain, as Hardik was kept completely away from any designated captaincy decision.

The decision came as a surprise for many. Hardik Pandya had starred in the T20 World Cup 2024 - both as a batter and as a bowler. It was Hardik Pandya, who picked the crucial wicket of Heinrich Klaasen in the crunch moment, and brought India back in the contest in the final against South Africa. It was Hardik again, who bowled the final over with David Miller on strike on the first ball, and gave away just eight runs while defending 16.

Also, Hardik was named India's T20I captain first after Rohit Sharma took a 14-month break from the format after the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final defeat against England. It seemed as if the all-rounder would lead India in the 2024 edition, however, things changed drastically once he injured himself in the World Cup 2023. Surya led India in his absence, and then Rohit returned to take charge. Hardik returned to action just ahead of the marquee event, with the IPL 2024, where he struggled to perform.

What Ajit Agarkar said about Hardik after Surya's appointment as India's T20i captain?

As expected, Gambhir and Agarkar were asked about the reason why Suryakumar Yadav was given the charge. Agarkar took the question in the press-conference just ahead of Team India's departure to Sri Lanka. He cited Hardik's fitness issues as the biggest reason for the decision.

“Regarding Hardik, he's still a very important player for us,” Agarkar said. “Fitness has obviously been a challenge for him, then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors.

“Fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who is available more often than not. Having said that, we believe Surya has the qualities necessary to be a captain. We also feel we can manage Hardik better, we've seen what he can do with the bat and ball in the World Cup. We speak to every player, about whether their role has changed. And yeah we've spoken to him," he said.

Gambhir's special gesture for Hardik

After the conclusion of the Sri Lanka T20Is which India won 3-0, Gambhir addressed the team in the dressing room, and allowed them to disperse only after inviting Hardik Pandya to say a few words to his teammates. Hardik also showed great spirit and praised Surya's captaincy, before signing off by wishing luck to the players heading into the ODI leg of the tour.