‘Hope he wasn’t told at a presser’: Mohammad Kaif says Axar Patel deserves explanation after vice-captaincy removal

Saurav Goyal

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‘Hope he wasn’t told at a presser’: Mohammad Kaif says Axar Patel deserves explanation after vice-captaincy removal image

(getty)

Axar Patel has quietly become one of India’s most reliable cricketers in recent years, but his sudden removal as vice-captain of the T20I side has raised many eyebrows.

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif voiced his concern and said Patel deserves clarity from the team management.

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Kaif hoped Patel was told about the change directly and not left to find out during a press conference.

Why did Axar Patel lose the vice-captaincy role?

Patel was earlier named deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav for the T20I series against England.

However, with Shubman Gill returning to the shortest format after a year, the team management reinstated him as vice-captain. 

That decision meant Patel had to step aside, even after playing a crucial part in India’s recent successes.

MORE: Asia Cup 2025: Complete schedule, dates, venues and teams

What did Mohammad Kaif say about this decision?

Kaif shared his opinion on social media, expressing that Patel should have been given a proper explanation.

He stressed that Patel had done nothing wrong to lose the responsibility and hoped the communication was clear.

According to Kaif, finding out about such a change through the media would have been unfair.

"I hope Axar Patel was informed about his removal from vice-captaincy in advance and he didn't come to know about it from the press conference. Axar did no wrong so he deserves an explanation," said Kaif.

READ: Asia Cup 2025: Format, teams and groups explained

How important has Axar Patel been for India lately?

Patel’s contributions have been key across formats. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, he gave a match-winning performance of 23/3 against England in the semi-final.

He followed it with an imprtant knock of 47 runs in the final against South Africa and helped India lift the trophy.

Saurav Goyal

Saurav Goyal is a Content Producer at the Sporting News with over two years of experience in covering cricket. An avid cricket fan for more than two decades, his passion for the game led him to writing. Since then, he’s been delivering the latest news and engaging content to keep cricket fans informed and entertained.