New Delhi, Jan 20: India vice-captain Axar Patel said batters from numbers three to seven have been told to be ready to bat in any situation during the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday
The series will be further played in Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai respectively.
"Batting wise, it's not just with me, but we spoke in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from Nos. 3 to 7 have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation. It is not just that one batter will bat at a particular position.
"Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well. We've spoken about that, how we can all be floaters, be it coming in early or obviously finishing.
"This is not just for me, but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they are in good touch in the nets. We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batters is so crucial, so this is an important factor in batting," said Axar to reporters on Monday.
Asked on what has been his experience as a member of the Indian team leadership group so far, Axar stated he will be a part of decision-making processes, including making some tough decisions, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
"It has just been a day, but as part of the leadership group there is an extra responsibility. The T20I side is settled, so there's not much pressure, but there are small decisions that need making and during the game I need to work closely with Suryakumar.
"As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions. We have spoken about sharing our genuine opinions and that will help build trust in this group. The T20I format is such that it is so fast that you have to make decisions quickly, so the larger conversations (with the coaches) is about how to do that," he added.
Once the 2025 Champions Trophy is over, India's focus will automatically shift to defending their T20 World Cup title when they will be co-hosts of the tournament in 2026, alongside Sri Lanka. After the home series against England, India are scheduled to play three T20Is in Bangladesh, and five games at home against South Africa.
"The World Cup is coming up in a year so how we approach leading up to that, we want to try it from now itself. That's the main target. Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well so we want to carry the momentum into this series too.
"But we've discussed that the past is past, however, we want to move ahead with the positives we gained from there. We have taken forward the points that brought us success. Transition is also something happening, across all formats, but that's a call for the selectors and captain to take," concluded Axar.
