The development made fans wonders how it would affect the relationship between Surya and Pandya, but a warm hug just before flying to Sri Lanka ensured that all is well between the two.
In a video shared by the BCCI before India’s departure, Pandya could be seen shaking hands with Surya, who got up from the chair and hugged Pandya.
WATCH VIDEO
At the team’s pre-departure press conference, the BCCI chief selector and former India pacer Ajit Agarkar was asked what led the selection committtee to give Surya the T20I captaincy.
He said Surya deserved it, while adding that the decision was also based on “feedback from the dressing room”.
“Why Surya was made captain? Because he is one of the deserving candidates. The one we know has been around the dressing room over the last one year. You get feedback from the dressing room a lot. He (Surya) has got a good cricketing brain and he is still one of the best T20 batters in the world,” Agarkar had said in his reply.
He also hinted that fitness was one of the deciding factors behind Surya’s appointment.
“You want a captain that’s going to be more likely to play all the games. We think he (Surya) is a deserving candidate and hopefully we’ll see over time how he develops into the role.”
Agarkar added that Pandya’s skills make him a very important player and crucial to India’s plans.
“In regards to Hardik, he’s still a very important player for us and that’s what we want him to be, that player that he can be because those sorts of skill-sets are very difficult to find,” said the chief selector.
India, who are already in Sri Lanka, will open the tour with the first T20I on July 27.
The three-match T20I series will be followed by an ODI series, which will also be for three matches.