IND vs ENG: BCCI Ignores Hardik Pandya Again, Gives Vice-Captaincy Duties To Axar Patel For England T20I Series

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The BCCI has announced the squad for India's upcoming T20I series against England, with notable changes. Mohammed Shami has made his return to the squad after a long absence due to injury following the 2023 ODI World Cup.

In a significant development, Axar Patel has been appointed as the vice-captain for India's T20I side. This marks a change from India's previous tour to South Africa, where the team did not have a designated vice-captain.

Axar's consistent performances in T20 cricket have earned him this new responsibility. The decision comes as a surprise since Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain during India's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, was initially seen as a potential candidate for the vice-captaincy role after Rohit Sharma's retirement. Despite this, the BCCI chose Axar, recognizing his all-round contributions to the team.

However, key players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were excluded, as the board decided to back Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Dhruv Jurel. Nitish Reddy earned his call-up after an impressive performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Suryakumar Yadav will continue as the captain, with players like Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh also making the cut. The pacers include Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, while the spinners in the squad are Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, and Washington Sundar.

The T20I series is set to begin on January 22, with the final match scheduled for February 2. Following the conclusion of the T20Is, both teams will compete in a three-match ODI series, which will serve as a crucial warm-up ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start from 19th February.

India Squad For England T20Is: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).