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.

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.

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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.