Watch: Hardik Pandya hugs Abhishek Nayar as team India leaves for Sri Lanka - Cricket Winner

Team India has departed for Sri Lanka to participate in a 3-match T20I and ODI series. The T20I squad left from Mumbai on Monday, July 22. Head coach Gautam Gambhir headed to the airport immediately after his first press conference since taking over the role. Hardik Pandya also joined the team, sharing a light-hearted interaction and a hug with the newly appointed assistant coach Abhishek Nayar before they flew out.

#WATCH | Mumbai | Indian Men's Cricket Team arrives at the Airport, they'll leave for Sri Lanka, shortly.

Indian Cricket Team will play the ODI and T20I series, 3 matches each, against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27 and ending on August 7. pic.twitter.com/ZmBmBqLasH

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2024

Hardik will participate solely in the T20I series as a player. Shubman Gill has replaced him as the team’s vice-captain. Although Hardik was once a contender for the T20I captaincy after Rohit Sharma’s retirement, Suryakumar Yadav was ultimately chosen for the role. Ajit Agarkar, BCCI’s chairman of selectors, highlighted that while Hardik remains a key player for the team, his fitness challenges influenced this decision.

SEE ALSO:Key takeaways from Gambhir’s first Press conference as India’s head coach: From backing Rohit and Virat to filling the shoes of Rahul Dravid

Why didn’t Hardik get the captaincy?

“Regarding Hardik, he remains a crucial player for us. However, fitness has been a challenge for him, which complicates decisions for the coach and selectors. We need someone who is consistently available. Despite this, we believe Surya has the qualities needed for captaincy. We also think we can manage Hardik more effectively; we’ve seen his capabilities with both bat and ball in the World Cup. We discuss role changes with every player, and yes, we’ve had conversations with him,” Agarkar said in a media briefing.

India’s newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has confirmed the appointment of all-rounders Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.