Team India’s T20I vice-captain, Axar Patel, shared his insights on the national team’s performance in the five-match T20I against England at home. Axar Patel said only the openers have a fixed position, and the rest of the batting, which has “a few floats,” should be flexible.

Ahead of the Champions Trophy, India are scheduled to host England in five T20Is followed by three ODIs. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian T20 side with Axar Patel as the vice-captain. The T20I series will begin on January 22, with the opening match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Team India Remains Unbeaten In T20I Series Since T20 World Cup 2024 Victory

The Men in Blue’s T20I squad is considered a more stable side compared to their ODI and Test squads. After winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa last year, they are unbeaten in the T20I series. The group is a combination of young people and activities, which have strong results so far.

Although the upcoming T20I series against England is meaningless, it will be important for India to test their bench strength and start building the foundations for the 2026 T20 World Cup. India will need their batsmen to be at their best, attacking from the start to dominate England in the series.

Middle Order Will Come In Batting Depending On The Match – Axar Patel

In a press conference on Monday, Axar Patel was asked about being a floater in batting. Patel explained that while the openers have fixed positions, the rest of the batsmen, from No. 3 to No. 7, are subject to change, with players being assigned positions based on conditions, including teams, and matches.

“Batting wise, it’s not just me, but we talked only in 2023-24 that the openers will be fixed, but everyone from No. 3 to 7 has been told that they can come at any time, in any case. One batsman to bat at a certain position,” Axar told reporters on Monday. .

“Our midfield will come to bat depending on the situation of the game, and what kind of players are shooting at that time, which works out well.”

“We’ve talked about it, how we can both be afloat, whether he’s coming early or obviously finishing. This is not just for me, but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they match well in the T20Is, how you use the Your batter is very important, so this is an important aspect of batting.”

India has brilliantly used Axar Patel as a floater in recent years

In recent years, India have made good use of Axar Patel as a floater, following his dramatic changes with the bat. He averaged 21.26 with a strike rate of 131.25 in T20s until 2022, but raised his average to 30.32 with a strike rate of 145.62 from 2023 onwards.

His versatility has led him to bat in different positions, recording six seasons in India, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat. India also tried other players like Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh in the floating roles.

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