Hardik Pandya’s leadership role in India’s T20I team has been revoked, with Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach, opting for Suryakumar Yadav as captain and Shubman Gill as vice-captain. This decision has raised eyebrows, given Pandya’s successful stint as captain of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.
Ashish Nehra, who coached Pandya at Gujarat Titans, expressed no surprise at the move. He believes that Gambhir has a different vision for the team and that Pandya does not fit into his plans as captain or vice-captain.
“Every coach and every captain have different thoughts. At this time, his (Gambhir’s) ideas are toward that direction,” Nehra said.
Nehra also agreed with the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, that Pandya’s fitness was a factor in the decision. Pandya has been playing limited overs cricket and is not a regular in the Test team.
“Hardik Pandya, in white-ball cricket, will remain a very, very important player for Indian cricket. When you have him, you can have 4 fast bowlers, he brings in a different balance to the side,” Nehra said.
Nehra also praised the appointment of Shubman Gill as vice-captain, but acknowledged that he is still a “work in progress” as a leader.
“They have made Shubman Gill in not just one format, but in all three formats. That means you are looking ahead,” Nehra said.
“Shubman Gill is a work in progress. He is 24-25 years old now. He will get better as we go ahead. He has the desire to play all 3 formats, he has the heart to learn,” he added.
