'Not surprised' - Ashish Nehra on Hardik Pandya's captaincy snub

Ashish Nehra said that he wasn't surprised with Indian management's decision to not appoint Hardik Pandya as the T20I captain of the national team. However, the former India pacer asserted that the Baroda all-rounder will continue to be an integral member of the white-ball setup for the Men in Blue.

Nehra worked closely with Hardik during the 2022 and 2023 seasons of the IPL at Gujarat Titans. The current head coach of the 2022 IPL champions understood the management's reasons behind naming Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain ahead of Hardik, who was Rohit Sharma's deputy during last month's T20 World Cup. While it was expected that the fast-bowling all-rounder would take up T20I captaincy after Rohit announced his retirement from the format, BCCI decided to appoint Suryakumar to the prestigious role.

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BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, speaking to the press on Monday, said that the team management wanted Hardik to work on his fitness and backed Suryakumar to excel in his new role. The former fast bowler pointed fingers at Hardik's recurring injury worries that have put him on the sidelines on several occasions in recent years.

"No, I am not surprised. When it comes to cricket, these things keep happening. Yes, Hardik Pandya was vice-captain in the World Cup, but at the same time, there is a new coach who has come in. Every coach and every captain have different thoughts. At this time, his (Gambhir's) ideas are toward that direction," Nehra told India Today's sister channel SportsTak.

"I think Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir have made it clear, that's good. He is playing one format, 50-over also, he is playing less. Hardik Pandya, in white-ball cricket, will remain a very, very important player for Indian cricket," he added.

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Nehra went on to explain Hardik's importance in the team, saying that his presence adds a lot of balance to the side because of his all-round capabilities.

"When you have him, you can have 4 fast bowlers, he brings in a different balance to the side and keep in mind, that there's no impact player in international cricket. Not just Hardik Pandya, but when you have so many matches, there will be changes. Even Rishabh Pant has captained, KL Rahul has captained," Nehra said.