Axar Patel, Team India&rsquo;s new T20I vice-captain, feels his role will be more than of a floater during the England series. The left-handed all-rounder has been India&rsquo;s mainstay across both domains, batting and bowling, with his performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa (with the bat) a testament to it.
Given that ageing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</a> is approaching the twilight stage of his ODI career, Axar remains the first choice for any captain across formats.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/disappointed-and-perplexed-shreyas-iyer-breaks-silence-on-kkr-exit-ahead-of-ipl-2025-8637827" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;Disappointed and perplexed&rsquo; Shreyas Iyer breaks silence on KKR exit</a>
Besides being known to bowl tight lines in the shortest format, Axar&rsquo;s role as middle order batter has come in handy for India. Though his numbers until the end of 2022 read 21.26 (batting average) and 131.25 (strike rate), his promotion in the batting order saw a surge, with both increasing rapidly (average to 30.32 and strike rate 145.62 since the start of 2023).
Batting at number three, four, six and seven in the past two years across all competitions (for India, IPL and domestic), Axar has scored six fifties.
Shedding light on his role in this new-looking T20I side, Axar said, "Batting wise, it's not just with me, but we spoke in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from Nos. 3 to 7 have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation. It is not just that one batter will bat at a particular position.
"Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well.
"We've spoken about that how we can all be floaters, be it coming in early or obviously finishing. This is not just for me but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they are in good touch in the nets. We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batters is so crucial, so this is an important factor in batting,&rdquo; Axar said in a chat with reporters on Monday in Kolkata.
<h2>New day, new role</h2>
Besides thinking about how to be used during 40 overs, Axar will now have to play as Suryakumar&rsquo;s deputy, meaning he will now be part of the leadership group, working towards building the team for the next T20 World Cup (next year).
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/womens-u19-t20-world-cup-2025-nigeria-beat-new-zealand-in-one-crickets-greatest-upsets-8637229" rel="dofollow">Women&rsquo;s U19 T20 World Cup 2025: Nigeria beat New Zealand in cricket&rsquo;s greatest upset</a>
"It has just been a day, but as part of the leadership group, there is an extra responsibility," Axar said. "The T20I side is settled, so there's not much pressure, but there are small decisions that need making, and during the game, I need to work closely with Suryakumar.
"As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions. We have spoken about sharing our genuine opinions, and that will help build trust in this group.
"The T20I format is such that it is so fast that you have to make decisions quickly, so the larger conversations [with the coaches] is about how to do that,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, India will play five T20Is against England starting January 22 in Kolkata.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Given that ageing Ravindra Jadeja is approaching the twilight stage of his ODI career, Axar remains the first choice for any captain across formats.

Axar Patel, Team India’s new T20I vice-captain, feels his role will be more than of a floater during the England series. The left-handed all-rounder has been India’s mainstay across both domains, batting and bowling, with his performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa (with the bat) a testament to it. Given that ageing Ravindra Jadeja is approaching the twilight stage of his ODI career, Axar remains the first choice for any captain across formats. Also read | ‘Disappointed and perplexed’ Shreyas Iyer breaks silence on KKR exit Besides being known to bowl tight lines in the shortest format, Axar’s role as middle order batter has come in handy for India. Though his numbers until the end of 2022 read 21.26 (batting average) and 131.25 (strike rate), his promotion in the batting order saw a surge, with both increasing rapidly (average to 30.32 and strike rate 145.62 since the start of 2023). Batting at number three, four, six and seven in the past two years across all competitions (for India, IPL and domestic), Axar has scored six fifties. Shedding light on his role in this new-looking T20I side, Axar said, "Batting wise, it's not just with me, but we spoke in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from Nos. 3 to 7 have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation. It is not just that one batter will bat at a particular position. "Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well. "We've spoken about that how we can all be floaters, be it coming in early or obviously finishing. This is not just for me but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they are in good touch in the nets. We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batters is so crucial, so this is an important factor in batting,” Axar said in a chat with reporters on Monday in Kolkata. New day, new role Besides thinking about how to be used during 40 overs, Axar will now have to play as Suryakumar’s deputy, meaning he will now be part of the leadership group, working towards building the team for the next T20 World Cup (next year). Also read | Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2025: Nigeria beat New Zealand in cricket’s greatest upset "It has just been a day, but as part of the leadership group, there is an extra responsibility," Axar said. "The T20I side is settled, so there's not much pressure, but there are small decisions that need making, and during the game, I need to work closely with Suryakumar. "As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions. We have spoken about sharing our genuine opinions, and that will help build trust in this group. "The T20I format is such that it is so fast that you have to make decisions quickly, so the larger conversations [with the coaches] is about how to do that,” he continued. Meanwhile, India will play five T20Is against England starting January 22 in Kolkata. (With inputs from agencies)

Vice-captain Axar Patel ready for new challenge with ‘role flexibility’ in England T20Is

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Vice-captain Axar Patel ready for new challenge with ‘role flexibility’ in England T20Is