Mohammad Kaif Backs Hardik Pandya for T20I Captaincy

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed his support for Hardik Pandya as the T20I captain, following the appointment of Suryakumar Yadav as the skipper for the Sri Lanka tour. Kaif believes that Pandya's experience as a leader should have been considered by the selection panel.

Kaif highlighted Pandya's successful tenure as captain of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, where he led the team to the title in their inaugural season. He also pointed out Pandya's experience as T20I vice-captain during India's triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"Hardik has captained the Gujarat Titans for two years and in their first year itself, they made it to the final," Kaif said. "He has experience captaining the T20I side. He was also the vice-captain at the T20 World Cup."

Kaif expressed his belief that the selection panel should have backed Pandya, given his proven leadership abilities. He also praised Suryakumar Yadav's qualities as a player but emphasized that Pandya's experience should have been given priority.

"I feel they should have backed Hardik," Kaif said. "He has not done anything wrong that he should not get the captaincy."

Kaif acknowledged that fitness concerns may have influenced the selection panel's decision. However, he believes that Pandya's leadership skills and experience should have outweighed any fitness issues.

"He has experience, has captained in the IPL and leading a new team (Gujarat Titans) to a trophy, with fresh and young faces, is a huge thing," Kaif said. "He has made the Titans win by working from Ground Zero in the IPL...I think he was entitled to the captaincy."

Tags: #HardikPandya, #SuryakumarYadav, #MohammadKaif, #T20ICaptaincy, #IndianCricket