Categories: Sports

Shubman Gill Dropped, Axar Patel Named Vice-Captain in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Squad- BCCI REVEALS Why

The BCCI has sprung a major surprise ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 by dropping Shubham Gill from the squad and removing him as vice-captain, with all-rounder Axar Patel handed the leadership role instead. Axar Patel had previously served as vice-captain during India’s five-match T20I series against England in early 2025. Shubman Gill has struggled for consistency in the shortest format, managing just 291 runs across his last 15 T20 matches at an average of 24.25.

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Published by Manisha Chauhan
Published: December 20, 2025 16:49:33 IST

The BCCI has sprung a major surprise ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 by dropping Shubham Gill from the squad and removing him as vice-captain, with all-rounder Axar Patel handed the leadership role instead. 

The decision, taken after Gill’s recent struggles in white-ball cricket, sparked immediate debate among fans and experts. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has now explained the reasoning behind the call, shedding light on why Axar was chosen to step up as India’s new vice-captain. 

Why Axar Patel Named Vice-Captain? 

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed the reason behind choosing Axar Patel for the vice-captain, by saying, “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 Patel Experienced Vice-Captain 

Axar Patel had previously served as vice-captain during India’s five-match T20I series against England in early 2025. Shubman Gill has struggled for consistency in the shortest format, managing just 291 runs across his last 15 T20 matches at an average of 24.25. 

Despite comparable concerns over form, Suryakumar Yadav was retained as India’s T20 captain. A recognised T20 specialist, Suryakumar has scored only 244 runs in his last 22 innings in the format, without registering a single half-century. 

India 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.

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