Axar Patel’s New Role and Mohammed Shami’s Comeback: A Look at India’s T20I Squad Dynamics
CricketPanditVeteran pacer Mohammed Shami is making his international comeback after being included in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against England at home. The 34-year-old has not played for the national team since the 2023 ODI World Cup final due to an ankle injury that required surgery.
Although his rehabilitation suggested he might return during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the BCCI’s Medical Team ultimately found his progress unsatisfactory. The Bengal pacer showcased his fitness by actively participating in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and his workload was closely monitored during the Vijay Hazare Trophy after experiencing temporary inflammation. The England series presents a significant opportunity for Shami to reinforce his international comeback, especially with the Champions Trophy approaching.
In addition to Shami’s return, the appointment of Axar Patel as vice-captain is a key highlight of the squad. Axar’s promotion comes despite Hardik Pandya’s presence in the team. Hardik had captained India in the shortest format leading up to last year’s T20 World Cup, after which Rohit Sharma resumed the captaincy. However, following the tournament, selectors decided to assign leadership duties to Suryakumar Yadav. While there was no designated vice-captain during India’s recent T20I series in South Africa, Axar has now been appointed as Suryakumar’s deputy, even though Hardik continues to lead the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Once again, Rishabh Pant is absent from the squad, having not played a T20I since July 2024, with selectors choosing Dhruv Jurel as the second-choice keeper. Sanju Samson remains the primary keeper-batter and is expected to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma, given Yashasvi Jaiswal’s absence.Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar are returning to the squad after missing the South Africa tour due to their involvement in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. In their place, Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal, and Jitesh Sharma have been dropped.
The five-match series will begin on January 22 in Kolkata, with the following four matches taking place in Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai. After this series, the teams will face off in a three-match ODI series before the Champions Trophy.
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk)
