The BCCI recently announced the Team India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup, to be hosted in India. Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee made shocking decisions by dropping Shubman Gill from the squad, and naming Axar Patel as vice-captain over Hardik Pandya ahead of the World Cup campaign. Concerns have arisen about why the BCCI prioritized Axar over Pandya. Here’s our analysis of the selection committee’s choices.
Why is Axar Patel Vice Captain in T20 World Cup 2026 India Squad?
Team India allrounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the remaining two IDFC First Bank T20Is against South Africa due to illness. Despite this, he has been appointed as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy for the T20 World Cup campaign. The left-handed allrounder has limited captaincy experience: last year, he captained Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2025 playoffs and has also led his domestic side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
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Axar has played 85 T20Is for India, scoring 681 runs at a strike rate of 135.11. His bowling stands out even more, with 82 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.24. These stats explain why the selection committee placed their faith in him.
In a press conference, Ajit Agarkar announced the Team India squad for the T20 World Cup 2025, confirming Shubman Gill’s omission and Ishan Kishan’s inclusion after his heroic performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He named Axar Patel as Suryakumar’s deputy for the campaign.
BCCI Ignores Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy
Not appointing Hardik Pandya as vice-captain has shocked fans. The 32-year-old allrounder made a strong comeback in the T20I series against South Africa, playing all four matches, taking 3 wickets, and scoring 50+ runs in two of them. Hardik captained India in the last T20 World Cup, so fans expected him to reprise the role, but the board opted to reward other deserving players.
T20 World Cup 2026 India Squad
Here’s the full Team India squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
