Team India T20I vice-captain Axar Patel has shared insights on 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, consisting of “floating multiples”, must remain flexible.
Ahead of the Champions Trophy, India are set to host England for a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian T20 team and Axar Patel will be the vice-captain. The T20I series will begin on January 22, with the series opener taking place 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 stable unit compared to their ODI and Test squads. After winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa last year, they remained unbeaten in the T20I series. The team is a mix of youth and experience with strong results so far.
While the upcoming T20I series against England has no immediate significance, it will be crucial for India to test the strength of their bench and start forming a nucleus for the T20 World Cup in 2026. India will need their batsmen to be fit maximum, attacking from the start to dominate England in the series.
Middle Order Will Come To Bat Depending On 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 7, is flexible, players are assigned roles depending on the situation, team combinations and matches.
“In terms of batting, it's not just with me, but I spoke right back in 2023-24 that the openings are fixed, but everyone from no. 3 through 7 were told they could come into bat at any time, in any situation. It is not just that a batsman will bat in a particular position,” Axar told reporters on Monday.
“Our middle order will come into bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which matchup is working well.”
“We talked about it, how we can all be floaters, whether we come in early or obviously finish. This is not just for me, but for everyone from number 3 and below, especially if they are in good contact in We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batting is so important, so that is a big factor in batting.
India have used Axar Patel effectively 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 till 2022, but has since increased his average to 30.32 with a strike rate of 145.62 from 2023 onwards.
His versatility allowed him to bat in different positions, scoring six half-centuries for India, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat. India also experimented with other players like Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh in floating roles.
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