The announcement of India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025 has stirred debates that transcend mere participant alternatives. Whereas Shubman Gill’s elevation to vice-captain grabbed the headlines, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif raised issues concerning the communication, or doable lack thereof, with Axar Patel, who lately held the identical function in India’s final T20I sequence.
Mohammad Kaif questions BCCI’s name over the Shubman Gill’s appointment as a vice-captain
Gill’s return to the T20I setup after over a 12 months comes with added duty, serving as deputy to Suryakumar Yadav. Having already captained the Check facet and groomed as a possible all-format chief, his promotion indicators continuity in India’s management pipeline. The selectors’ resolution additionally displays their desire for a youthful face who can develop into the function throughout codecs.
Nonetheless, the silence round Axar’s elimination has raised eyebrows. Solely months in the past, the all-rounder was vice-captain in the course of the T20I sequence towards England. Kaif, by no means one to mince phrases, pressured that whereas Gill’s appointment aligns with India’s long-term management plans, Axar ‘did no flawed’ and deserves an evidence for being changed. His feedback have reignited the dialog round transparency in group administration selections, significantly when management roles are reshuffled.
Kaif’s pointed comment on X “I hope Axar Patel was knowledgeable about his elimination from vice-captaincy prematurely and he didn’t come to find out about it from the press convention. Axar did no flawed so he deserves an evidence @akshar2026,”
I hope Axar Patel was knowledgeable about his elimination from vice-captaincy prematurely and he did not come to find out about it from the press convention. Axar did no flawed so he deserves an evidence. @akshar2026
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) August 19, 2025
Axar’s file speaks for himself: 71 T20Is, 71 wickets, and a number of other essential batting contributions. Within the IPL, he has even captained Delhi Capitals, showcasing composure in high-pressure conditions. For a participant who has been one in every of India’s most dependable all-rounders, the difficulty lies much less in who changed him and extra in the way it was carried out. That nuance is what makes Kaif’s feedback resonate with followers who admire Axar’s understated consistency.
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Sympathy for Axar Patel from one other former Indian cricketer
Kaif isn’t the one one voicing help for Axar. Former opener Aakash Chopra, on his Youtube channel, additionally termed the transfer ‘a little bit unfair,’ although he acknowledged that the general squad appears balanced. Their views underline a bigger sentiment: in management issues, communication and respect usually matter greater than numbers.
From the selectors’ perspective, although, the roadmap is evident. At 25, Gill represents India’s next-generation management pool alongside Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, each making comebacks. With the Asia Cup main into the T20 World Cup, the administration probably desires management roles firmly in place. Elsewhere, India’s squad boasts notable speaking factors: Jasprit Bumrah’s return bolsters the bowling assault, Abhishek Sharma is ready to companion Gill on the high, and the wicketkeeping slot stays a battle between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma. Amid these constructive developments, nonetheless, Axar’s quiet demotion stands out because the one unexplained transfer.
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