BCCI explains why Axar Patel was named vice-captain for T20 World Cup 2026 after Shubman Gill snub

A major surprise came on Saturday morning when Shubman Gill was removed as vice-captain and dropped from India’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. In his place, all-rounder Axar Patel was appointed vice-captain. The decision was taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Gill’s poor run of form in recent white-ball internationals.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the thinking behind the move and why Axar Patel was chosen for the role.
“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,” Agarkar said, explaining the decision.

Axar Patel’s past leadership experience also helped his case. He had earlier served as India’s vice-captain during the five-match T20I series against England in early 2025, which added weight to his selection ahead of the World Cup.

Gill Dropped, Suryakumar Continues as Captain

Gill, 26, has scored only 291 runs in his last 15 T20 matches at an average of 24.25, which ultimately led to him being dropped from the squad. However, Suryakumar Yadav was retained as captain despite similar concerns about his recent form. The T20 specialist has managed just 244 runs in his last 22 innings in the format, without scoring a single fifty.

See Also: Why Yashasvi Jaiswal was dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Explained

India will also play five home T20Is against New Zealand from January 21, which will be their final international series before the World Cup. The tournament will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will feature 20 teams. India goes into the event as defending champions after beating South Africa in a thrilling final in Barbados in 2024.

India’s squad for the 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.