Former Team India manager Lalchand Rajput feels the management wants Hardik Pandya to do well as a player and that is why they haven’t backed him as the new T20I captain. Pandya was expected to be the front-runner for the leadership after Rohit Sharma’s retirement but the selectors decided to back Suryakumar Yadav, owing to the all-rounder’s perennial fitness issues.

Rajput believes it is a good thing for the all-rounder as a responsibility has been taken off his shoulders and he can concentrate on his game to prolong his career. Pandya is India’s solitary seam bowling all-rounder and Rajput reckons the all-rounder should feel he is being taken care of.

Lalchand Rajput said in an interview with Hindustan Times, “I think the selectors must have thought in the line with coach, too. The management wants Hardik Pandya to do well. If they release him from captaincy, he can play freely and give his best performance with bat and ball. I heard the press conference of Ajit Agarkar, he said most of the time he was unfit. They need a captain who is fit to play all the games. That must have tilted the favour towards Suryakumar Yadav.”

“SKY has also been a captain of the Mumbai Ranji team and started early in the T20 format. He will lead the team in the best possible way.”

On the other hand, Hardik Pandya last played a Test match for India back in 2018 against England. Rajput said he would love to see the all-rounder in action in the red-ball format.

“I would love to see him in the red-ball cricket. He is a player who can change the course of the game in all three departments. If he could do well in red-ball cricket, that would add value to the team. He’s an all-rounder who can come at no.6 and also bowl a couple of overs,” said Rajput in the aforementioned interview.

Pandya registered expensive figures of 0-41 in the first T20I against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Saturday however India won by 43 runs.