EXPLAINED: Why 30-yr-old star preferred over Hardik Pandya for India's vice-captaincy role for T20I series against England

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally revealed the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England on January 11, Saturday. Mohammed Shami's return after a two-year-long injury layoff remained the highlight of India's T20I squad. Notably, Mohammed Shami last played for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup.   

The squad witnessed some notable exclusions, including senior players Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The BCCI has opted for Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Dhruv Jurel as the preferred options in these positions. Nitish Reddy, who impressed with his performances in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has earned a well-deserved call-up to the T20I side. Suryakumar Yadav will continue to lead the team, while key players like Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh have also been retained.

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Axar Patel named India's vice-captain for T20I series against England 

But what left everyone surprised was Team India's another shift in its leadership structure. Axar Patel was preferred over Hardik Pandya and was named the vice-captain for India's T20I series against England. This appointment adds a new chapter to the ongoing saga of vice-captaincy within the Indian team.

The appointment of Axar Patel as vice-captain adds an interesting twist to the team's leadership dynamics. Notably, the Indian team had no designated vice-captain during the recent T20I series against South Africa. Axar's promotion appears to be a reward for his consistent performances.

However, the absence of Hardik Pandya from the leadership role has raised some eyebrows. Pandya served as vice-captain at the 2024 T20 World Cup and was widely expected to succeed Rohit Sharma as the regular T20I captain. However, the team management opted for Suryakumar Yadav instead.

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Axar Patel's rise to vice-captaincy is well-deserved. He played a crucial role in India's T20 World Cup victory last year, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. He scored 92 runs in the tournament, including a crucial 47 in the final, and claimed nine wickets across eight matches.

Axar's consistent performances have also been evident in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was the first player retained by the Delhi Capitals at a significant price of Rs 16.50 crore. Despite the acquisition of KL Rahul by the franchise, Axar still holds the potential to captain the Delhi Capitals in the future.

Hardik Pandya, once considered the natural successor to Rohit Sharma as the Indian T20I captain, has seen his leadership prospects diminish. While he served as vice-captain during the successful T20 World Cup campaign, he has been excluded from leadership duties in the current series against England. This omission is surprising, considering that Shubman Gill, who was named vice-captain for the recent series against Sri Lanka, is not part of the current squad. This absence would have presented an opportunity for Pandya to reclaim a leadership role.

India's T20I squad for England series:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).