Mumbai, India

India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has revealed that it was Hardik Pandya's fitness issue which saw Suryakumar Yadav being named India's T20I skipper. SKY replaces Rohit who retired from shortest format after recent T20 World Cup glory.

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The dashing Mumbai batter was named the new T20I skipper ahead of India's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and Agarkar made the comments at the press conference for the same.

"One of the main issues [discussed] was that you want a captain who's likely to play all the games," Agarkar said on Monday (Jul 22) in Mumbai.

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"We want him (Hardik) to be the player he can be, because those sorts of skillsets are difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years. Then it (appointing Hardik captain and losing him to injury) becomes a bit difficult for the coach as well as the selectors. We have now got a bit more time till the next T20 World Cup where we can look at a few things. He's an important player and his performances are more important for us."

"His fitness is a challenge and we wanted someone who is available more often than not. Surya has the qualities you need to succeed as a captain. Two years is a bit more time to try and look at some things a bit differently. In this way we can manage Hardik better," Agarkar added.

The chief selector also referred to dressing room feedback on appointing Surya as the next skipper.

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"Why Surya was made the captain, because he is one of the deserving candidates," the former India bowler said. 

"He's been around the group over the last year, we get feedback from the dressing room a lot. [He has a] good cricket brain, and [is] one of the best T20 batters in the world," he added.