Mumbai, July 22 (IANS): Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has explained a reason behind chosing Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain over Hardik Pandya, saying the that SKY is one of the deserving candidates. He added fitness was one of the reason why Hardik was not considered for the role.

"He is one of the deserving candidates," Agarkar told the reporters. "He is one of the best T20 batters in the world. We wanted a captain, who is likely to play all the games. We will see how he will do in two years," he said.

Suryakumar, who is ranked No.2 in ICC Men's T20I batting rankings, has captained the Mumbai team in the Indian domestic cricket circuit in all formats. He also led India to a 4-1 T20I win over Australia last November and then captained India to a 1-1 series draw in South Africa in December 2023.

The chief selector also said that Hardik is valuable for the side, adding that fitness has been a challenge over the past few years.

"As far as Hardik is concerned, he is still a very important player. And that's what we want him to be. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years... Then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors. I think, Surya has the necessary qualities to succeed as a captain," he said.

Interestingly, Gill has been named the new T20I vice-captain for Sri Lanka tour ahead of Hardik, who held the role in the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

Hardik has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, apart from leading the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL.