BCCI reveals why Axar Patel replaced Shubman Gill as India’s T20 World Cup 2026 vice-captain
Axar Patel has been appointed India’s vice-captain for the 2026 T20 World Cup after Shubman Gill was dropped, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar stressing that the all-rounder was simply returning to a leadership role he had already held earlier in the year.
Why Axar Patel was made vice-captain
Agarkar clarified that Axar’s elevation was a continuity call rather than a surprise promotion.
Agarkar said, “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.”
Axar had already served as deputy to Suryakumar Yadav during the five‑match home T20I series against England in early 2025, which made him the obvious replacement once Gill was left out.
As a trusted member of the leadership group who contributes with both bat and ball, Axar offers balance in a squad packed with specialist hitters and strike bowlers.
The numbers behind Shubman Gill’s omission
Gill’s axing as both player and vice-captain is rooted in a sustained dip in T20I returns.
Over his last 15 T20I matches, Gill has scored only 291 runs at an average of 24.25, well below what India expect from a first-choice top‑order batter in the shortest format
Selectors have instead backed a more explosive and flexible top order built around Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, all of whom can keep wicket or bowl part‑time if required.
Agarkar has repeatedly described Gill as a “quality player” who is “a bit short of runs at the moment”, suggesting the door remains open beyond the World Cup if his T20 form improves.
Interestingly, captain Suryakumar Yadav has also endured a barren stretch, scoring just 244 runs across his last 22 T20I innings without a single fifty, yet the selectors have chosen to stand by his leadership and game-changing ceiling.
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad
The 15-member squad named for the home‑and‑away T20 World Cup 2026 (co‑hosted by India and Sri Lanka) blends power-hitting depth with a multi‑spin attack.
Role | Player |
|---|---|
Captain | Suryakumar Yadav |
Vice-captain | Axar Patel |
Top-order batters | Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson |
Middle order | Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh |
All-rounders | Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar |
Wicketkeepers | Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan |
Fast bowlers | Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh |
Spinners | Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar |
The same group will also play five home T20Is against New Zealand from January 21 — India’s final international tune‑up before the World Cup.
Tournament context: India’s title defence
The 10th edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup runs from February 7 to March 8, 2026, with 20 teams split into four groups of five and the top two from each progressing to the Super Eights.
India and Sri Lanka share hosting duties; Sri Lanka previously hosted in 2012, and India last staged the event in 2016.
India are the defending champions after beating South Africa in a thriller in Barbados in 2024, and can become the first side to win three men’s T20 World Cups and the first to defend the title successfully.
India’s group-phase schedule sees them face USA, Namibia, Pakistan and Netherlands at iconic venues in Mumbai, Delhi, Colombo and Ahmedabad, respectively, setting up another high-voltage India–Pakistan clash in Colombo on February 15.