Axar Patel named vice-captain for 2026 T20 World Cup
The BCCI pulled off a surprise when they announced the Indian squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Shubman Gill was left out of the squad and stripped of the vice-captaincy. In his absence, all-rounder Axar Patel has been appointed as the new vice-captain, marking a significant leadership change ahead of the global tournament. So let’s know about Axar Patel vice-captain T20 World Cup 2026.
Ajit Agarkar explains BCCI’s decision
India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified the reasoning behind Axar Patel’s elevation and stated that the decision was simple once Gill was not selected.
According to Agarkar, since Gill was no longer part of the squad, the team management had to come up with an alternative. Axar emerged as the logical choice due to his previous experience in leadership roles, having served as vice-captain in previous T20I series when Gill was unavailable.
Axar’s previous experiences strengthened his case
Axar Patel had previously held the vice-captaincy role during India’s five-match T20I series against England in early 2025, which worked in his favour. His consistency, calm presence and ability to contribute with both bat and ball played a role in the selectors placing new faith in him.
Gill’s dip in form costs him a place
Shubman Gill’s exclusion was largely influenced by his inconsistent returns in T20 cricket. The 26-year-old has scored 291 runs in his last 15 T20I innings at an average of just 24.25, prompting the selectors to make a tough decision ahead of the big event.
Suryakumar Yadav retained as captain despite form issues
Despite similar concerns surrounding his batting form, Suryakumar Yadav continues as captain of the Indian T20I. The specialist batsman has scored 244 runs in his last 22 T20I innings without registering a single half-century, yet the management has opted for continuity in leadership.
Final of the New Zealand pre-World Cup series
India’s selected squad will also take part in a five-match home T20I series against New Zealand from January 21, which will serve as the final international assignment before the World Cup.
T20 World Cup 2026 Overview
The 10th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will consist of 20 teams. India enters the tournament as defending champions after beating South Africa in a thrilling final in 2024.
Indian squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
- Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
- Axar Patel (vice-captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dubey
- Rinku Singh
- jasprit bumrah
- Harshit Rana
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Washington Sundar
- Ishan Kishan
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