Hardik is still important for us: BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has explained why Suryakumar Yadav was chosen as India’s new T20I captain instead of Hardik Pandya. Agarkar noted that while Hardik remains an important player for the team, his recent fitness issues were a key factor in the decision.

The BCCI announced Yadav as the new captain as part of their strategy for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Yadav, currently the top-ranked T20I batter, takes over from Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format following India’s T20 World Cup victory last month.

“Regarding Hardik, he’s still a very important player for us. Fitness has obviously been a challenge for him… Then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors. Fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who is available more often than not. Having said that, we believe Surya has the qualities necessary to be a captain. We also feel we can manage Hardik better, we’ve seen what he can do with the bat and ball in the World Cup… We speak to every player, whether their role has changed. And yeah we’ve spoken to him,” Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors said in the press conference, addressing why the star batter was preferred over Hardik Pandya.

Agarkar clarified that Hardik’s fitness challenges made it difficult for the selectors to consider him for the captaincy. He stressed that while Hardik’s contributions with bat and ball are valuable, they needed a player who could be available more consistently. Agarkar also mentioned that Hardik was informed of the decision before the official squad announcement for the Sri Lanka tour.

Despite his leadership experience with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, where he led the team to two finals and a title, Hardik’s fitness concerns influenced the selectors’ choice.