Injury likely factor in Pandya’s captaincy removal, says Pradeep Sangwan

Sangwan, who played under Pandya during his captaincy of the Gujarat Titans in 2022 and 2023, suggested that injury and fitness concerns might explain why selectors chose Suryakumar over Pandya.

New Delhi: Former Delhi pacer Pradeep Sangwan thinks the reason the selectors picked Suryakumar Yadav as captain of the Indian T20I team in Sri Lanka over Hardik Pandya because the all-rounder had suffered an injury.

Sangwan, who played under Pandya when he was captain of the Gujarat Titans in 2022 and 2023, said injury issues and fitness could be the reason why the selectors opted for Suryakumar over Pandya.

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“But it happens, once a player suffers an injury then the selectors have to decide about his availability. They want a player who is fully fit and available throughout the season,” said Sangwan who has joined the Legends Intercontinental T20 and will represent Indo Kings in the upcoming season set to take place from August 16 to 28, 2024, at Moosa Stadium in Texas, USA.

“Hardik is a good captain. He has been troubled by a back injury for some time and that has been a hindrance for him. He did well for Gujarat Titans, helped them win the title once, and took them to the final another time, so he has led the team well,” said Sangwan.

Asked about who could take the place of the retired Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja in the India T20I squad, Sangwan said there are several options.

“There are some very good young players. Virat and Rohit have a proven track record and recently they won a big title for India. There are some good options like Abhishek Sharma is doing well nowadays, and Shubman Gill has got some chances and has now been named vice-captain of the team for the Sri Lanka tour. So there are 3-4 good players that can come in as replacements,” he added.

Sangwan also believes that Legends League has a bright future and players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will become part of Legends League a few years from now.

“I have seen in other leagues and also heard from members of the committee that they are hopeful to have Virat Kohli, M.S Dhoni playing in the Legends League. I feel we will have such players in Legends league soon,” said the 33-year-old left-arm pacer who has played 58 first-class matches for Delhi at the domestic level,” he said.

“I have joined this event as a player, have signed up for Indo Kings. I am also helping the franchise owners in selecting players for the team. The Legends League has a bright future, I feel it will go on to compete with major leagues in cricket as most of the players that have retired now or will do that in 2-3 years from now, have a fan following of their own. Like M.S. Dhoni has a fan-following.

“That’s why Legends League has a bright future. Retired players who are fit, like Ravindra Jadeja, have good fitness, they can participate in this league. Even after they retire, players maintain their fitness for 4-5 years. This is a short format, the event gets over in 2-3 weeks,” Sangwan added.

The inaugural edition of Legends Intercontinental T20, owned by US-based Brosid Sports LLC, is set to take place from August 16 to 28, at Moosa Stadium in Texas, USA, where legendary stars from various continents will showcase their skills and passion for the game.

Seven teams—Indo Kings, Asian Avengers, Euro Rangers, American Mavericks, Trans-Tasman Titans, African Lions, and Caribbean Vikings—featuring icons from across the globe, will compete for the coveted trophy in the inaugural season.