Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, said that Hardik Pandya’s fitness is one of the key reasons for the selection committee’s choice to move on to Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I team captain. India’s legendary opener Krisnamachari Srikkanth isn’t convinced by Agarkar’s explanations given in the joint press conference with Gautam Gambhir, claiming Hardik was not spurned due to fitness concerns.

I think they have gone from the feedback of the dressing room. It must have probably been from the IPL. Fitness is something that I will not agree with. He played the entire IPL. Yes, he might not have done well in the IPL. That’s another issue. Mumbai Indians didn’t qualify. At the World Cup, he was the vice-captain and he played well. So, fitness is something that I won’t agree with, Srikkanth stated.

Feedback from the dressing room? I am not able to understand that. Yes, Suryakumar is a fantastic player and has the qualities to be captain. But the reasons for dropping Hardik as captain are beating around the bush in terms of the reasoning. The reasons that they are giving, they could have said straightforwardly ‘We want to move forward and we are looking at Suryakumar as a long term’. Make it clear. Say it without fear, Srikkanth asserted.

I have also been chairman. I have picked players, dropped players, and faced a lot of criticism. I am not saying I was God; I have also made mistakes. But you have to give a good explanation, he concluded. India will take on Sri Lanka in the first T20I match on July 7, Saturday at Pallekele International Stadium.