Rashid Latif and Gautam Gambhir | Source: X.com
Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif argues that the Indian management’s justification of fitness concerns is merely a cover for not selecting Hardik Pandya as captain.
Notably, Hardik Pandya, who served as the vice-captain of the Indian team during the T20 World Cup 2024, was overlooked for the T20I captaincy. Instead, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as the captain.
During a press conference held before India flew to Sri Lanka, the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that due to fitness concerns, Hardik Pandya was not a suitable choice for the captaincy.
Meanwhile, Rashid Latif argued that this is merely an excuse from the Indian management and suggested that even Rishabh Pant could have been a better captain, considering the future.
“No, here they should just hand him a certificate saying he isn’t fit and there are concerns about his fitness. There are plenty of players who weren’t super fit but still became great captains. So, I think it was just an excuse. Because if Surya wasn’t around, then Rishabh Pant would have been the captain since you have to look at the future.”
Regardless, Suryakumar Yadav will begin his tenure as full-time captain of India on July 27, as the Men in Blue face Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Pallekele Stadium.
