Who will be India Vice Captain for IND vs SA Super 8 Match in T20 World Cup 2026?

In the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Team India is facing South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on February 22. Both are among the best T20 teams in the world and have been unbeaten in the tournament. They played against each other in the T20 World Cup 2024 final where the Men in Blue emerged victorious.

The toss went in the Proteas' favor and they decided to bat first and put some runs on the board. India's skipper Suryakumar Yadav wanted to do the same, but was satisfied with the toss results. However, he made a surprising announcement that Axar Patel has been benched and is not a part of the playing 11.

Who will be India Vice Captain for IND vs SA Super 8 Match?

India captain Suryakumar Yadav mentioned that leaving out Axar Patel was a tough decision but they wanted to continue with the winning combination. Since Axar is out, India currently have no vice-captain for this match. Axar was appointed India vice captain in T20 format after Shubman Gill was dropped from the squad for the ongoing tournament.

With no Axar for this game, the fans wondered who will take his place as Suryakumar's deputy. However, India have senior players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah who can lead the side in case Suryakumar becomes unavailable.

“The pitch looks quite similar to the previous black soil surface we played on, just one strip away, not too much change. We’re happy to bowl first. It’s very harsh on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team - just a tactical decision, so no changes from the last game,” said Suryakumar Yadav at the toss.

India vice captain T20 World Cup, Axar Patel, didn't play the last match against Netherlands and wasn't included in the team for the IND vs SA T20 World Cup 2026 match as well. The star all-rounder played his last match against Pakistan, where he returned excellent figures of 2-29 in four overs.

Why Pandya or Bumrah can be India New Vice Captain?

The Indian team has plenty of experienced players who are capable of taking up the leadership role. Hardik Pandya, one of the best all-rounders in the world, is one of them. Hardik has the experience of leading India in the past as he was the team's vice-captain during the last edition's T20 World Cup triumph. Currently, he leads Mumbai Indians in the IPL as well.

Meanwhile, the Indian team also has Jasprit Bumrah, the leader of the current bowling attack. Due to the constant fitness concerns, both Pandya and Bumrah were not considered for India's captaincy, however, they remain an integral part of the team.