Axar Patel named vice captain for England T20Is amid Delhi Capitals speculation

India all-rounder Axar Patel has been awarded vice-captaincy for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England set to begin from January 22. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) announced the 15-member squad for the series on Saturday, January 11 as fast bowler Mohammed Shami marked his return to the Indian team after the World Cup 2023.

Patel played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph with his all-round show in the final. Earlier, the BCCI had announced Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the T20I side on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024. However, the right-handed



batter lost his place in the team after facing stiff competition from other batters.

After dropping Gill for the next two T20I series against Bangladesh and South Africa, the selection committee didn’t name a new vice captain. They finally revealed Patel as the new deputy to captain Suryakumar Yadav for the England series.

The southpaw scored 92 runs from five innings during the T20 World Cup 2024 including a match-winning knock of 47 (31) in the final. Along with that, the left-arm spinner also took nine wickets from eight matches with notable performances against Pakistan and England.