Axar Patel: Shubman Gill can become vice-captain.
Axar Patel was appointed India’s vice-captain for the five-match T20 series against England earlier this year. He was rewarded for his consistent performance in the shortest format of the game. The Gujarat all-rounder did not show much with the bat, but he did well with the ball and took six wickets in five matches at an average of 16.50.
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Axar impressed both fans and critics with his leadership in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League. The 31-year-old captained the Delhi Capitals commendably but could not take the team to the playoffs.
Shubman Gill can be made vice-captain
However, despite his good performance as a captain, Axar is reportedly on the verge of losing his vice-captain position in the Indian T20 team. According to a report by RevSportz, Shubman Gill could be made the vice-captain of the Indian T20 team for the upcoming Asia Cup, which will be played in the UAE from September 9 to September 28.
Shubman recently captained India in the five-match Test series against England. The Punjab batsman was the highest run-scorer in the series with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40. India performed brilliantly to level the series 2-2.
Axar Patel: Plenty of competition in the Indian team
Interestingly, Shubman has not played any T20 international cricket since July 2024. He has scored 578 runs in 21 T20 internationals at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.28. Shubman’s return to the team could put Abhishek Sharma’s place in the top order at risk.
Sanju Samson is expected to play as a wicketkeeper-batsman and open the innings. Shubman Gill, who opened the IPL, may also join him in the top order. This may put Abhishek, who was the highest run-scorer in the five-match series against England, out of the race. Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in the race to make it to the team, and this may increase the difficulties for Abhishek.