Hardik Pandya was the Indian vice-captain a month ago, looking set to take over the reins as the new skipper after Rohit Sharma retired following the side's T20 World Cup win. However, the departure of Rahul Dravid as head coach, and Gautam Gambhir succeeding him meant the leadership group was reshuffled. What followed was the sidelining of the star all-rounder, as Suryakumar Yadav was named the Indian captain with an eye for the next World Cup in the format in 2026. Moreover, Shubman Gill was named Suryakumar's deputy.

Entering its transitional phase, Team India will now kickstart the Suryakumar-Gambhir era in T20Is on July 27 when the side takes on Sri Lanka in a bilateral series. Hardik has retained his place in the XI, and will undoubtedly be a crucial part of the team. According to former Sri Lanka cricketer Russell Arnold, however, the poor stint at Mumbai Indians could be the deterimental factor behind Hardik's snub for a captaincy spot.

With Hardik as their captain for the first time this year, the MI endured a horrific season, as they finished at the bottom of the table. The controversial nature of his appointment didn't help Hardik, too, as the unceremonious removal of Rohit Sharma from the role didn't sit well with a majority of MI fans, who showed their disapproval clearly by booing Hardik in most of the side's home matches.

"Well, both are exceptional players. They bring different things to the party. Suryakumar Yadav is probably one of the better T20 batters going around and the way he plays it, he obviously has to see and read the game like no one else. Hardik has also shown that. But I reckon with how the IPL went and whereas Hardik couldn't really gain the respect of everyone around him, might have prompted BCCI to look in a different direction," Arnold told Sports Tak.

He further said that the board prioritised a happy dressing room and stated that Suryakumar was a better choice for the same.

“It's about getting everyone to gel and keeping everyone calm and happy so that you can pull in the one direction. I'm not saying that wouldn't have happened under Hardik, but I guess, at this particular moment, it was a good opportunity and it's a great opportunity for Suryakumar to showcase what he can do and make it his own,” said Arnold.

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