Indian selectors sprang a couple of surprises as they dropped Shubman Gill and reappointed Axar Patel as the T20I vice-captain for the upcoming New Zealand series and T20 World Cup 2026. Besides Gill,
Jitesh Sharma has also lost his spot, with the duo of Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh recalled in the 15-man squad.
While Gill’s stats with the bat haven’t been impressive since his return to the T20I squad earlier this year, Jitesh didn’t do much wrong to be axed. However, with the selectors set to reunite Sanju Samson with Abhishek Sharma as opener, the team management went for a backup wicketkeeper in Ishan Kishan, who recently had a productive outing for his domestic team Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy as he racked up over 500 runs, including a title-winning century in the final.
Besides, Ishan is a top-order batter while Jitesh has mostly batted in the middle and lower-middle order as a designated finisher.
“We are looking at the combination,” chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar told reporters on Saturday. “If the ‘keeper is going to bat at the top, at the moment Jitesh is there and he has not done too much wrong. But we need to look at the combination and a keeper at the top.”
Title Defence At Home A ‘Challenge’
Suryakumar is relishing the challenge of leading India’s title defence in front of home fans. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
“It’s a good responsibility and challenge for me to play in front of the home crowd. The squad looks balanced and we have filled in the positions well. We already have 2-3 combinations ready when we see the squad,” Suryakumar said.
Surya’s form is a worry for India, given he averaged 13.62 across 19 innings.
“I know what to do and I will do it. You will definitely see Surya the batter, but this phase has lasted a little longer. Other players have also bounced back in form in the past,” Surya said of his lean patch.
