Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel in India's T20 World Cup squad

In the latest development, Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been named as Axar Patel's replacement in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Informing about the change days ahead of the World cup's commencement, BCCI Honourary Secretary Jay Shah, confirmed on Wednesday that Shardul Thakur will take Axar Patel's place in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Patel will now be on the list of standby players.

Shardul Thakur named Axar Patel's replacement

Shardul Thakur is likely included in Team India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup to adopt the duties of an all-rounder. With Hardik Pandya not having bowled due to fitness concerns, Thakur could provide more depth in the bowling attack. Moreover, he could also chip a few runs with the bat down the order. Meanwhile, Pandya has not bowled regularly since his back surgery in 2019.

India to take on Pakistan in their T20 World Cup opener

After two warm-up games against Australia and South Africa, Team India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the T20 World Cup. The India vs Pakistan match is scheduled to commence live at 7:30 PM IST on October 24. If the 'Men in Blue' were to beat their nemesis, it would be Pakistan's eighth consecutive defeat against India in a World Cup match.
How to watch India vs Pakistan live in India?

Fans wondering how to watch India vs Pakistan live in India can tune into the Star Sports network, which has the official telecasting rights in the country. As for the T20 World Cup live streaming, fans can tune into the Disney+ Hotstar app. Meanwhile, live updates of the match will be available on the social media handles of the BCCI and the ICC T20 World Cup.

Team India's T20 World Cup squad: Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel

India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami

Stand-by players: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Axar Patel

Meanwhile, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K. Gowtham will assist the team in their preparations for the T20 World Cup.