Abhishek Sharma is reportedly set to replace Tilak Varma as vice-captain of India’s T20I team under Shreyas Iyer. The claim comes from a single News 24 report posted on X. The BCCI has not announced any change.
“Breaking News: New T20 Vice Captaincy Candidate. With Ajit Agarkar Shown Doors, Management & Selectors Are In Favour Of Giving Big Opportunity To Abhishek Sharma”
Vaibhav Bhola, News 24 Deputy Sports Editor, X post, September 23, 2026
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Other outlets have repeated the report since. Every version goes back to that one post, and none names a BCCI official.
The runs explain why Abhishek is in the frame. They don’t explain what a T20 vice-captaincy really changes: almost nothing on the field, and almost everything in the dressing room.
Abhishek’s case comes from the Afghanistan series in Delhi, which India won 3-0.
| Match | Date | Abhishek | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Sept 13 | 82 (32) | India won by 7 wickets |
| 2nd T20I | Sept 15 | 39 (19) | India won by 7 wickets |
| 3rd T20I | Sept 17 | 108 (34) | India won by 127 runs |
His 108 had 11 sixes. It broke Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian. He was Player of the Match in the final game and Player of the Series.
The century follows his record fifty against England earlier this season. He is ranked second among T20I batters by the ICC.
Tilak was named vice-captain in June 2026, when Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as captain. The new leadership started badly. India lost 2-0 in Ireland and 4-0 in England, and Tilak’s strike rate was criticised.
At a press conference on July 22, before the Zimbabwe series, Tilak said the team’s needs decide how he bats. He added that early powerplay wickets had forced the middle order to rebuild. Current reports say his returns have not been good enough, but none gives figures from the Afghanistan series.
The report came four days after Ajit Agarkar told the BCCI he is stepping down as chief selector. Tilak is still Iyer’s deputy at the Asian Games in Japan, where India play Afghanistan in the quarter-final on September 28.
Insider Read
In T20 cricket, the vice-captain barely touches the game. Twenty overs leave no room for a second voice. The captain sets the field, the plans come from the dressing room, and the deputy only matters if the captain walks off.
The dressing room reads the title as a message. Moving it from the No. 4 who rebuilds to the opener who attacks from ball one tells every batter which method is being rewarded. It also fits the fearless approach Gautam Gambhir wants. For Tilak, leading into a knockout while the reports say the job is going is harder than any strike-rate debate.
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