Before Team India’s departure for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar held a press conference to discuss the tour.

During the conference, Agarkar highlighted some key decisions made by his selection committee for the Sri Lanka tour. Notably, Suryakumar Yadav was named the T20I captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is last month. This decision surprised many, given that Hardik Pandya was previously Rohit’s deputy at the T20 World Cup 2024.

Explaining the rationale behind this choice, Agarkar stated, “Regarding Hardik, he’s still a very important player for us. Fitness has obviously been a challenge for him… Then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors… Fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone who is available more often than not….Having said that, we believe Surya has the qualities necessary to be a captain….”

Agarkar added, “We also feel we can manage Hardik better. We’ve seen what he can do with the bat and ball in the World Cup… We speak to every player, whether their role has changed. And yeah, we’ve spoken to him…”

Commenting on Surya’s appointment as T20I skipper, Agarkar said, “Suryakumar Yadav was made the captain because he is one of the most deserving candidates. We have been getting feedback from the dressing room. He has a great cricket brain, he is one of the best T20 batters in the world, and he is likely to play all the games. Surya has the necessary qualities to succeed as a captain.”

Agarkar also addressed questions about Ravindra Jadeja’s absence from the ODI squad, clarifying that the spin all-rounder hasn’t been dropped but rested due to important upcoming Test matches.

“It would have been pointless to take both Akshar and Jaddu for a three-match series. He has had a terrific World Cup. Not at all dropped. Either of them wouldn’t have featured in games had we taken him. There’s a big Test season coming up. We should have clarified it when the squad was announced. He is still part of the format. He is a very important player for us,” Agarkar explained.

India will play three T20Is and three ODIs on the tour of Sri Lanka, starting on July 27. The T20Is will take place in Pallekele, while the ODI series will be held in Colombo.

**India’s T20I Squad:** Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

**India’s ODI Squad:** Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Akshar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.