3 reasons why India appointing Axar Patel as vice-captain for IND vs ENG T20Is 2025 is the right move
All-rounder Axar Patel has been named Team India's vice-captain for the five-match T20I series against England at home, which will be played from January 22 to February 2. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is also set to make his international comeback after being named in the squad. The 34-year-old last represented India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
Sanju Samson has been retained as the frontline keeper-batter in the Suryakumar Yadav-led squad, while Dhruv Jurel has been picked as the second wicketkeeper in the team ahead of Rishabh Pant. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are not part of the T20I squad, so Abhishek Sharma will likely continue opening the batting with Samson in the upcoming series against England.
While Team India's squad for the five-match T20I series against England has included a number of interesting selections and omissions, Axar's elevation as vice-captain has been a big talking point. We look at three reasons why his appointment as deputy to Suryakumar is the right move.
#1 No point in naming Hardik Pandya as vice-captain if he is not being considered for captaincy
There was a phase in the 2024 T20 World Cup build-up when all-rounder Hardik Pandya was being considered for captaincy in the format. He even led the Men in Blue in a few matches. However, the selectors eventually chose Rohit Sharma as captain for the World Cup, and India won the ICC event under him.
While explaining the decision to elevate Suryakumar to T20I captain ahead of Pandya after Rohit retired from the format, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that the Baroda all-rounder's fitness was a challenge. They wanted someone who had a better chance of being available for all the matches in T20Is.
While Pandya is part of the 15-member squad for the T20I series against England, he has not been given a leadership role. This decision makes sense since it's a clear indication that the selectors are not considering him a future captain in the format. As such, it would be better to groom someone to take over the role from Suryakumar once his stint as T20I leader ends.
#2 Axar seems the best candidate for the role from the options available
If we look at the 15-member Team squad picked for the T20I series against England, Axar looks like the best candidate to take up the post of vice-captain. Sanju Samson has just established himself in the team and must look to focus solely on his batting. Shami is a senior pacer, but he will be coming back from an injury. Significantly, he has never been considered captaincy material.
Gill is not part of the squad; otherwise, he could have been a candidate for vice-captaincy. Most of the others, barring Arshdeep Singh, are relatively new to international cricket. So, they logically cannot be considered for any leadership role. The list includes Abhishek, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, and Jurel, among others.
#3 Axar Patel's cricketing acumen is hugely underrated
While Axar is not considered among the superstars of Indian cricket, he is a highly valuable player. It wouldn't be wrong to say that his cricketing acumen is hugely underrated. With the bat or ball in hand, the 30-year-old from Gujarat has often bailed India out of tricky situations with some smart cricket.
He was the Player of the Match for his three-fer against England in Guyana in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal. The all-rounder also scored a defining 47 off 31 in the final against South Africa in Barbados after the Men in Blue got off to a disastrous start with the bat.
Both performances brought Axar's leadership qualities to the fore as he shouldered the responsibility to bail his side out of trouble. The 30-year-old seems to have a calm head on his shoulders, so he can often deliver the goods under pressure. It would be fair to say that he was an unlikely choice as India's T20I vice-captain. It is equally true that Axar has done enough to earn the honor.