Hardik Pandya Deserved T20I Captaincy, Says Mohammad Kaif

Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as India's T20I captain for the Sri Lanka tour has sparked debate, with former batsman Mohammad Kaif expressing his belief that Hardik Pandya should have retained the role.

Kaif, in an interview with IANS, argued that Pandya's experience as T20I captain and his successful stint leading the Gujarat Titans in the IPL made him the ideal choice. "Hardik has captained the Gujarat Titans for two years and in their first year itself, they made it to the final... Hardik has experience captaining the T20I side. He was also the vice-captain at the T20 World Cup," Kaif said.

Kaif also questioned the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as vice-captain, replacing Pandya. "Gambhir is an experienced captain and coach...He understands cricket very well. I think 'Hardik ne aisa koi galat kaam nhi kia k unko captaincy na mile' (Hardik has not done anything wrong that he should not get the captaincy)," Kaif added.

Pandya led India in 16 T20Is before suffering an injury during the ODI World Cup last year. He also guided the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and the runners-up spot in 2023.

Kaif believes Pandya's experience and success in both the IPL and international cricket made him the most suitable candidate for the T20I captaincy. "He has experience, has captained in the IPL; and leading a new team (Gujarat Titans) to trophy, with fresh and young faces, is a huge thing. He has made the Titans win by working from zero in the IPL...I think he was entitled to the captaincy," he said.

Despite Kaif's reservations, Suryakumar Yadav remains a highly respected and experienced player. He is currently ranked as the world's No. 1 T20I batsman and has been a key member of India's T20I team for several years. It remains to be seen whether he can lead India to success in the upcoming Sri Lanka tour and beyond.

Tags: #Cricket, #T20I, #India, #SriLanka, #SuryakumarYadav