Not Gautam Gambhir! This key BCCI person had doubts over Hardik Pandya as captain

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Hardik Pandya was anticipated to take over as India's new T20I captain after serving as vice-captain of the T20 World Cup-winning team last month.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently appointed Suryakumar Yadav as the new skipper in the T20 format, with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Although a section of netizens thought Gautam Gambhir was behind Hardik's exclusion as India's captain, that was not the case. The new head coach of the Indian team was content with Hardik as captain, but it was a joint decision which ended Hardik's hopes. As per reports, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was not so convinced about Hardik Pandya as the leader.

Agarkar wasn't entirely convinced about Hardik Pandya's tactical acumen required for an international skipper. Despite leading India in 16 T20Is and three ODIs during Rohit's absence, doubts remained about his leadership skills.

Hardik did receive guidance from former India cricketer Ashish Nehra during his two years at Gujarat Titans between 2022 and 2023. Under Nehra's mentorship, Gujarat Titans reached both IPL finals and won the trophy in their debut season. However, such support wasn't extended by Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher and that derailed the MI ship in IPL 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav, currently the top-ranked T20I batter, edged out Hardik Pandya in becoming Rohit Sharma's successor after Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is following India's World Cup win in Barbados. Suryakumar's first assignment as captain will be the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Various media reports suggested that fellow team members had more trust in Suryakumar's leadership abilities, especially after his impressive stint in South Africa last December. This trust played a significant role in his selection over Hardik for the T20I captaincy.