India's Biggest Dressing Room Secret Out! Two Senior Stars' Alleged Rift Exposed

Hardik Pandya vs Suryakumar Yadav rift exposed [Source: AFP]

In a bombshell report that shook Indian cricket, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and former T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav were reportedly at loggerheads after India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024.

That year, after winning the World Cup in Barbados, then-captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli announced retirement from the shorter format.

Naturally, the BCCI sprang into action to look out for Rohit’s successor, and their search stopped at Suryakumar Yadav, the senior-most player of the group.

Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav rift exposed

Meanwhile, according to a new report from PTI, the captaincy battle in 2024 was reduced to two players, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Many believe Pandya would succeed Rohit Sharma, as he was the vice-captain.

However, in a surprising twist of fate, Suryakumar was chosen as India’s next T20I captain as a very senior unnamed cricketer backed his candidacy. Not only that, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar ultimately backed Suryakumar as well.

But this development left a scar on Hardik Pandya-Suryakumar Yadav’s relationship. According to the report, Hardik has not been on good terms with SKY since 2024 despite the duo sharing the same dressing room in the IPL for Mumbai Indians.

The rift is reportedly an open secret in Indian cricket, but no player or coach has come forward to confirm it.

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Why did the BCCI not trust Hardik Pandya?

That being said, the report also mentioned that Hardik Pandya’s trade to Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 also worked against him. He replaced Rohit Sharma as MI captain, a move that attracted severe backlash from fans.

Hardik turned into an overnight villain as boos rained on him at every stadium he stepped foot on during the tournament. Things inside the dressing room weren’t great either as MI finished at the bottom of the table.

Hence, these factors, along with his recurring back injury issue, collectively forced the BCCI to drop Hardik Pandya and opt for Suryakumar Yadav as Rohit Sharma’s successor. That move did work wonders as SKY led India to its back-to-back T20 World Cup title in 2026.

Suryakumar Yadav sacked after T20 World Cup win

As things stand, the BCCI has continued its ruthless approach to sack Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain ahead of the Ireland and England series.

He has also been dropped owing to poor form, as Shreyas Iyer carries on the legacy of skippers. Once again, Hardik Pandya was snubbed for the captain role, as the BCCI wants him to focus on the ODIs ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

However, Hardik has been struggling with a back niggle since IPL 2026, and he will only participate in the ODI series against Afghanistan if he clears a final fitness Test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has been training for nearly a week.

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