New Delhi: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has thrown his support behind all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the T20I captaincy, especially after Suryakumar Yadav was named captain for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Interestingly, young batter Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new T20I vice-captain, a role previously held by Hardik during India's triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Kaif expressed his opinion that the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, should have endorsed Hardik considering his past experience leading the T20I squad.

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"Hardik has successfully captained the Gujarat Titans for two years, leading them to the final in their very first year... He has also led the T20I side and served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup. With a new coach coming in, there will be new strategies. Surya is also a talented player with years of experience. He is a top T20 player, and I believe he will handle the captaincy responsibility well. However, I personally feel they should have backed Hardik," Kaif remarked to IANS.

"Gambhir is an experienced captain and coach who understands cricket deeply. In my view, Hardik has not done anything wrong to not deserve the captaincy," Kaif emphasised further.

Hardik Pandya has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, in addition to captaining the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

"He brings valuable experience, having led teams in the IPL and achieving success, especially guiding a new team like the Gujarat Titans to a title. His journey from scratch with a team of young talents in the IPL is commendable. In my opinion, he was a strong contender for the captaincy. Let's see how things unfold," Kaif added.

Kaif also speculated that concerns over fitness might have influenced the selection panel's decision not to consider Hardik for the captaincy role. IANS