Several including former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif expressed reservations after BCCI decided against appointing all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain of India’s T20I team.
While India’s Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said that fitness issues were behind Pandya’s demotion, former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold attributed his performance as Mumbai Indians skipper in IPL 2024 to the decision.
It is pertinent to mention that the BCCI earlier this month handed over the captaincy to batter Suryakumar Yadav.
Now, Russel Arnold has said that Hardik Pandya was not made captain as he could not earn the respect of his players during IPL 2024.
“Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are good players. They have different skills. Surya is one of the better T20 batters, and he reads the game like no one else. I think Hardik could not get the respect of the players around him in the MI team, forcing the BCCI to look for a different skipper,” Arnold said during an interview with an Indian media outlet.
While mentioning the all-rounder’s run at the IPL, he said that it was important for a skipper to keep everyone on the same page to pull the team in one direction.
“I know Hardik would have done it, but Suryakumar has more chance of achieving it. He has a chance to showcase what he can do as a leader,” Arnold added.
Hardik Pandya has also in the recent past addressed the backlash he received during the IPL 2024.
After guiding India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, he said that it was a special moment for him as he faced a huge backlash in the last six months.
“It means a lot. Very emotional, we’ve been working very hard and something was not clicking. But today we got what the whole nation wanted. Special for me after my six months, I haven’t spoken a word, things have been unfair, but I knew there’d be a time I could shine. An opportunity like this makes it all the more special,” the all-rounder added.
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