Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed his surprise and disappointment over the BCCI’s decision to overlook Hardik Pandya as captain of the T20I team. Pandya was widely expected to take over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from the format. However, the BCCI opted to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the new skipper.
Harbhajan believes that Pandya’s experience and leadership qualities made him the ideal candidate for the captaincy. “He was your vice-captain…when Rohit Sharma is not the captain, your vice-captain becomes the captain,” Harbhajan told Sports Yaari. “But if you tell him on fitness ground that you will not be the captain – there’s no T20I cricket round the year.”
Harbhajan added that losing the captaincy must have been a significant setback for Pandya. “He came after winning the T20 World Cup and suddenly, it’s a big setback for him. It’s not right,” he said. “I have great respect for Suryakumar Yadav. Phenomenal player, great guy…very selfless. Even he wouldn’t have thought that this would happen.”
The BCCI’s decision has also raised questions about Pandya’s fitness. The all-rounder has been struggling with injuries in recent months, and there are concerns that he may not be able to handle the rigors of captaincy.
However, Harbhajan believes that Pandya’s fitness is not a major issue. “He’s a young guy, he’s fit,” Harbhajan said. “He’s been playing for India for a long time now. He knows how to manage his body.”
The BCCI has named a 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, with Yadav leading the team. The matches will be played on October 6 (Gwalior), October 9 (New Delhi), and October 12 (Hyderabad).
