Not the easiest thing: Agarkar on Suryakumar's T20I captaincy removal
What's the story
Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of India's selection committee, has clarified the decision to remove Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the T20I side. The move comes after India's successful campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year. Shreyas Iyer was named as Suryakumar's successor for upcoming tours of Ireland and England. Here's what Agarkar had to say.
Decision explained
The best way forward: Agarkar
Agarkar said that Suryakumar's recent form and India's strategy for the next T20 World Cup cycle were key factors in their decision. "Partly his own form, but also looking at the next two-year cycle or a little bit more than two years now till the next World Cup, we thought this was the best way forward," he said at a press conference in Mumbai.
Tough choice
It was tough call to make
Agarkar admitted that it was a tough call to make, especially since Suryakumar had just led India to a World Cup victory. "With regards to Surya, obviously, it's a tough one... having just won the World Cup," Agarkar said in Mumbai. "But as it happens after most World Cups, we try and reassess what the best way forward is. "
New leadership
Shreyas is a well-deserving candidate
Agarkar defended Iyer's appointment, citing his captaincy record and recent batting form. He said, "Shreyas is a well-deserving candidate." The chief selector highlighted Iyer's experience leading different franchises in the IPL and his impressive performances. "He was quite close to getting into that T20 World Cup squad as well," Agarkar added.
Performance review
We were always going to look ahead, says Agarkar
Agarkar said that while Suryakumar's recent form was a factor in the change, it wasn't the only one. He said, "You look at the form in the last two years but he was doing well as a captain (of India)." The chief selector stressed that they were always going to look ahead and consider all factors in their decision-making process.
Squads
Here are the Indian squads
Squads for Ireland and England series: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Squads for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Jasprit Bumrah.