"Hum yeh bhi baat karte hain ki...": Axar Patel

Ahead of the fivematch T20I series against England Team Indias new vicecaptain Axar Patel said that the openers are the only ones with a fixed slot in the Men in Blue batting line up and the remaining batting order will be made up of multiple floatersTeam India will start their T20I campaign against England with the first game scheduled to be played at the Eden GardensAsked about being a floater in the batting order Axar Patel replied its not just about me it applies to everyone in the teamRight from the start of 2024 we had decided to have a fixed opening slot and from No 3 to No 7 everyone has been told to be flexible based on the situation combinations and matchupsAxar Patel who is now a part of the team management for the series spoke in a manner that reminded one of Rohit Sharmas interaction before the 2023 ODI World Cup where he called for flexibility in the middleorderAlso ReadBangladesh court issues arrest warrant against former skipper Shakib Al HasanThere is no fixed position where a particular batter will always playits the same for everyone in that range between Nos 3 to 7 depending on who is having a great day which we assess during practice sessionsIn T20 cricket its all about utilising the right batter in the right situationThere is not much that changes for Axar as Suryakumar Yadavs deputy except for the fact that he will now also be a part of certain hard calls that are taken by the team managementIts been only one day Yes we skipper Surya head coach Gautam Gambhir and myself have had a discussion There is an extra responsibility on the leadership group There is not much of a change Obviously we have a settled T20 side there is not much pressureWhen you come into the leadership group obviously you have to take some harsh decisions Those also we have spoken about It is about having a genuine opinion and keeping trust on each otherThe first T20I match against England will mark Team Indias first game after the horrible Test series against Australia and Axar Patel doesnt want to worry about the previous resultsHum yeh bhi baat karte hain ki jo ho gaya woh ho gaya woh wapas nahin aanewala Let bygones be bygones It is about taking the positives into our next series he saidAxar Patel also welcomed star pacer Mohammed Shami to Tea India The pacer will make a return to the national side after the ODI World Cup 2023 Shami had been struggling with a knee niggle after recovering from an ankle surgeryIts a very positive thing for the team The last time he Shami played was in the ODI World Cup final and since his recovery he has performed well in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare tournaments he said referring to Shamis recent comeback in the domestic circuitWhenever a senior player makes a comeback it gives a big boost to the team We all know what Shami bhai brings to the table whether its with the new ball or in the death oversHis presence especially with the new ball is a huge advantage for the team Hopefully he continues the same form he showcased in the World CupWith PTI Inputs