IND対ENGではスリヤクマルの後任として椅子取り副キャプテンを務めるハルディク・パンディアではなくアクサー・パテルが続投

In yet another twist to India’s ever-changing vice-captaincy saga, Axar Patel has been appointed as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England. The announcement came as part of the BCCI’s squad reveal on January 11, with veteran pacer Mohammed Shami also making his long-awaited return to the T20I setup.

Interestingly, India had no vice captain for their previous T20I series against South Africa, leaving the role vacant. With Axar’s promotion, the team management seems to be rewarding consistency. However, the absence of Hardik Pandya from leadership duties has raised a few eyebrows, considering he led India till the T20 World Cup 2024. At the event, Pandya was the vice captain. He was expected to be named as the regular T20I captain after Rohit’s retirement but it didn’t prove to be the case. Instead, Rahul Dravid and the BCCI management chose Suryakumar Yadav.

Axar Patel’s rise, Hardik’s fall?

Axar’s rise to vice-captaincy is well-deserved. The all-rounder was a key player in India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign last year, contributing with both bat and ball. He scored 92 runs in the tournament, including a crucial 47 off 31 balls in the final, and picked up nine wickets across eight matches. In the IPL, he was the first retention for the Delhi Capitals (DC) at Rs 16.50 crore. Despite DC signing KL Rahul at the mega auction, Axar still holds the chance to become the captain there.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, once seen as the natural successor to Rohit Sharma, has slipped down the pecking order. He was the vice-captain during the T20 World Cup triumph but now finds himself out of the leadership conversation. His omission is, however, is surprising. Shubman Gill was named as the Indian vice-captain for the series against Sri Lanka but will Gill not being there, Pandya stood a chance.

India squad for T20Is vs England