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Team India T20I vice-captain Axar Patel shared some insight into the national team’s approach ahead of the five-match T20I series against England at home. Axar Patel said only the openers have fixed positions, and the rest of the batting order, made up of “multiple floaters”, must remain flexible.
Before the Champions Trophy, India will host England for a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian T20 with Axar Patel as the vice-captain. The T20I series will begin on January 22, with the series opener at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Team India remains unbeaten in T20I series since winning T20 World Cup 2024
The Men in Blue’s T20I squad is seen as a more established unit compared to their ODI and Test squads. After winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa last year, they have remained unbeaten in the T20I series. The squad is a mix of youth and experience, with good results so far.
Although the upcoming T20I series against England is of no immediate importance, it will be crucial for India to test their strength on the bench and start forming a core for the T20 World Cup 2026. India will need for their batsmen to be in top form, attacking from the start to dominate England in the series.
The middle order will come to bat according to the match situation – Axar Patel
In a press conference on Monday, Axar Patel was asked about being a floater in the batting order. Patel explained that while the openers have fixed positions, the rest of the batting order, from No.3 to No.7, is flexible, with players assigned roles depending on the situation, combinations of teams and the confrontations.
“In batting, it’s not just me, we talked in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from No. 3 to No. 7 has been told that they can come into bat at any time and in any situation. It’s just that a batsman will bat in a certain position,” Axar told reporters on Monday.
“Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowling they are bowling at that time, what match is working well.”
“We’ve talked about that, how we can all be floaters, whether it’s early or obviously finishing. That’s not just for me, it’s for everyone from No. 3 on down, especially if they’re in good contact at We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batsmen is so important, so that is a big factor in batting.”
India have effectively used Axar Patel as a floater in recent years
In recent years, India have effectively used Axar Patel as a floater, following his significant improvements with the bat. He averaged 21.26 with a strike rate of 131.25 in T20s until 2022, but has since increased his average to 30.32 with a strike rate of 145.62 from 2023 .
His versatility has allowed him to bat in various positions, scoring six half-centuries for India, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat. India have also experimented with other players like Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh in floating roles.
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