India all-rounder Hardik Pandya saw his world turn upside down as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka. Expected to be named the team’s new T20I captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Pandya faced a surprising turn of events with the new management structure.

Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, had different plans, handing the T20I leadership to Suryakumar Yadav, while Shubman Gill was named vice-captain.

Gambhir and Agarkar’s influence

Reports suggest that Gambhir’s arrival as head coach played a significant role in this decision. Unconvinced by Hardik’s consistency and fitness, Gambhir preferred Suryakumar for the captaincy role. A report from PTI also highlighted that Chief Selector Agarkar had doubts about Hardik’s tactical awareness, a crucial attribute for successful captaincy.

“Gambhir’s entry as India’s head coach obviously put a spanner in Pandya’s national captaincy prospects,” the PTI report stated. “Even the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar wasn’t completely convinced that he is tactically as sound as one expects an international skipper to be.”

The road ahead for Pandya

Pandya’s leadership ambitions have faced a massive roadblock. However, in cricket, it isn’t over till the last ball is bowled. To keep his captaincy dreams alive and make a point, Hardik needs to deliver a terrific performance in the Sri Lanka T20Is. Additionally, he can’t rely solely on international games; he will have to play domestic cricket to improve his below-par international appearance percentage of 50 percent across the two white-ball formats over the last 19 months.

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To remain in contention for the Champions Trophy next year, Pandya must participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Baroda in December. Indian cricket is always full of twists and turns, and Hardik’s journey is far from over.