Axar Patel was appointed as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy for the five-match T20I series against England earlier this year. He was rewarded for consistently performing well in the shortest format of the game. The Gujarat all-rounder failed to impress with the bat, but he did quite well with the ball, bagging six wickets from five games, averaging 16.50.
Axar Patel went on to impress both fans and critics with his leadership skills in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 31-year-old captained the Delhi Capitals commendably but was unable to take them to the playoffs.
However, despite his decent performances as a leader, Axar is reportedly on the verge of losing his vice-captain’s position in the Indian T20 setup. As per a report, Axar is in line to be replaced by Shubman Gill as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is set to be played in the UAE from September 9 to September 28.
Shubman recently led India in the five-match Test series against England. The Punjab batter finished as the highest run-scorer in the series, having amassed 754 runs from 10 innings at an average of 75.40. India showed a lot of guts and determination to square the series 2-2.
Shubman Gill’s record in T20Is
Interestingly, Shubman hasn’t played T20I cricket since July 2024. He has scored 578 runs in 21 T20Is at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.28. Shubman’s return to the side could put Abhishek Sharma’s position at the top of the order at risk.
Sanju Samson is expected to play as the wicketkeeper-batter and open the innings. Shubman, who opens the batting in the IPL, could join him at the top of the order. This could keep Abhishek, who finished as the top run-getter in the five-match series against England, out of contention. Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in the running for a spot in the side, and this could make things even more difficult for Abhishek.
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