BCCI Reveals Why Axar Patel Was Made Vice-Captain After Shubman Gill Snub: "Someone Else Had To"
Shubman Gill was dropped from India's T20 World Cup 2026, with all-rounder Axar Patel announced as the vice-captain.
- All-rounder Axar Patel was named India's vice-captain for T20 World Cup 2026, after Shubman Gill was dropped
- BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained why Axar was appointed in the role over anyone else
- "Shubman is not in the team, so someone else had to be vice-captain. Axar was vice-captain before": Agarkar
A major shock was delivered on Saturday morning as Shubman Gill was removed as vice-captain and dropped from India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad. In Gill's place, all-rounder Axar Patel was named as the vice-captain of the team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the bold call following Gill's poor run of form in recent white-ball internationals. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar also explained exactly why Axar Patel was the person to be named as the vice-captain.
"Shubman was the vice-captain, but he's not in the team, so someone else had to be vice-captain. Before, when Shubman was not playing T20Is and was playing Test cricket, Axar was the vice-captain," Agarkar said, explaining the choice to make Axar Patel the vice-captain.
Notably, Axar Patel was the vice-captain when India played against England in a five-match T20I series held in early 2025.
Gill, 26, has scored only 291 runs in his last 15 matches in the game's shortest format at an average of 24.25.
However, batter Suryakumar Yadav was retained as captain despite similar concerns over his form. Â
A T20 specialist, Suryakumar has managed just 244 runs across his last 22 innings in the format, without a single fifty.
The same team will also play five home T20Is against New Zealand from January 21, the last round of international matches before the World Cup.
The 10th edition of the tournament, which will be hosted by Sri Lanka and India, will feature 20 nations.Â
India are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in a thrilling 2024 final in Barbados.
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain) Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan.
With AFP inputs
Axar Patel
India Cricket Team