India T20I Squad: Not Hardik Pandya! India Pick Axar Patel As New Vice Captain Of T20I Team (Source: PTI)
The BCCI announced the India squad for the T20I series against England. Mohammed Shami made a comeback to the side after being sidelined due to injury since the ODI World Cup 2023. Senior players Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were not picked in the India squad as the BCCI backed Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel. Nitish Reddy earned a call-up to the T20I side after a stunning performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Suryakumar Yadav was retained as captain of the side while Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh were also picked. Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh were other pacers in the squad while Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, and Washington Sundar were picked as spinners.
India Pick New Vice Captain For T20I Side
Meanwhile, India also revealed the new vice-captain of the T20I team - Axar Patel. On the previous tour to South Africa, India did not have a vice-captain, however, the board handed the duties to Axar Patel for the England series. Axar has been rewarded for his consistent show for Team India in the shorter formats of the game. Surprisingly, the BCCI did not turn to Hardik Pandya, who at a point was in line to become the permanent captain of the T20I side after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Hardik was even the vice-captain of the team that won the T20 World Cup 2024.
The T20I series will get underway on January 22 and the final of the series will be played on February 2. The teams will lock horns in a three-match ODI series after the T20Is which will serve as the preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy.
India Squad For England T20Is: 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).
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