Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya may no longer hold the reins as the captain of the Indian T20 side, but his departure from the leadership role has not altered the camaraderie he shares with current skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Speaking ahead of the first T20I against England, Suryakumar Yadav asserted that Pandya’s presence in the team remains invaluable and their bond as teammates and friends remains great. 

Pandya was being considered to lead India’s T20 side after skipper Rohit Sharma turned his attention to ODIs, but he returned to lead the side at the T20I World Cup 2024, where India cliched the title victory. Following the T20I World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma bowed out of T20Is, with Suryakumar Yadav succeeding him as the skipper. 

“The relationship with him has been really great. We’ve been playing [together] for a really long time. I still remember that from 2018, when I went back to Mumbai Indians [we first played together] and [it’s the same] till today," Suryakumar Yadav said during the press conference. 

“It’s just that the added responsibility that I’ve got [here]. When we go back to franchise cricket, I can get to be quiet and relax for a little bit. But we’ve been good friends on the field and we know what we want going forward with the India team," he added.

Pandya, meanwhile, was also in the race to be Yadav’s deputy but Axar Patel has been handed that responsibility. As for Pandya, he captains Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav at Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

“Axar has been given that added responsibility. We saw what he did in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he’s been with the team for a very long time. At the same time, Hardik is also part of the leading group. When we sit, we decide what we want to do with the team going forward and even on the field, he is always around. We have a lot of captains on the ground."