Gautam Gambhir Doesn't Like Deputy Captains! Quit or Be a Benchwarmer, know

New Delhi: Since the Indian cricket team suffered a crushing 76-run defeat against South Africa, many serious questions have been raised. Fans are targeting everyone from the team management to the players. The most surprising thing is that Axar Patel, the vice-captain of the Indian team in the T20 format, has been reduced to a bench master.

This has raised questions about whether being the vice-captain of Team India under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching holds no meaning. If it does, then why is he repeatedly being left out of the playing eleven? Vice-captain Axar Patel was expected to play against South Africa, but he was not included in the playing eleven.

This has dashed fans’ hopes. Looking at the statistics, Axar Patel has performed brilliantly against South Africa at the T20 level. He has taken 13 wickets in 18 matches, and in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, he played a crucial innings of 47 runs off 31 balls against South Africa.

Pandya won the World Cup but lost the vice-captaincy

The Indian team won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma served as captain and Hardik Pandya as vice-captain. Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20 cricket after the tournament, but Pandya is still playing. There was hope that Hardik Pandya would lead the team in Rohit’s place.

Gautam Gambhir was selected as the coach, and Hardik Pandya could not become captain. Surya Kumar Yadav was suddenly appointed the T20 captain by the BCCI. It is reported that Surya Kumar Yadav was Gautam Gambhir’s first choice, which is why this decision was made.

Surya Kumar Yadav was given the T20 captaincy, and Shubman Gill became the vice-captain. Hardik, who scored 144 runs and took 11 wickets in eight matches, was included in the team as a player. Sources indicate that the matter was Gautam Gambhir’s unwillingness.

Shubman Gill was named vice-captain, but was missing from the World Cup squad.

Shubman Gill was named vice-captain in the T20I squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. He was also India’s regular captain in Tests and ODIs. But the surprising thing happened when the team for the ICC T20 World Cup was announced in December 2025, and Shubman Gill didn’t even find a place in the squad.

An average of 24.63 in his last 14 T20Is went against him. Selector Ajit Agarkar said the team combination required two wicketkeepers and two openers, which is why he couldn’t find a place. Gill later revealed that he was informed of this over the phone just minutes before the team announcement.

Vice-captain in two matches

Axar Patel has been ruled out of the last two matches of the ICC T20 World Cup. He was chosen as Surya Kumar Yadav’s deputy captain for the T20 World Cup. Despite this, he was benched in the final group stage match against the Netherlands. It was assumed that the other players were being given practice in match situations in easier games.

But Axar remained on the bench even in the biggest Super 8 match, India vs. South Africa. Two consecutive matches on the bench, and that too for a player who is the team’s official number 2! It’s difficult to balance the two issues: if Axar is the vice-captain, why isn’t he in the team?