IND vs SA: Fans call Gautam Gambhir PATHETIC for dropping Axar Patel in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Axar Patel was benched in the IND vs SA clash despite being the vice-captain of the side.
The Super 8 clash between India and South Africa is taking place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22. The IND vs SA is the first game for both teams in the Super 8 round of the T20 World Cup 2026.
South Africa had better luck at the toss as their captain Aiden Markram won it and chose to bat first against India. He revealed that they have made four changes to the XI, bringing back all the senior players who were benched in the last dead-rubber game against UAE.
On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav said that India made no changes to the playing XI. Hence, Axar Patel was benched once again after missing the previous game. Washington Sundar, who missed the initial games due to an injury, was preferred over him.
Although, Axar Patel has struggled to score runs in the T20 World Cup, he he has done a better job with the bowling, picking six wickets across three games- a two-wicket haul in each encounter.
He was benched in the fourth game of the group stage against Netherlands, with Sundar replacing him in the playing XI.
However, the decision to add Sundar against South Africa backfired as he could not make a mark with the ball. He was given only two overs and ended up giving 17 runs. Moreover, Shivam Dube also was too expensive, conceding 32 runs in his first two overs.
Fans slam India’s decision to bench Axar Patel for IND vs SA match
As India suffered with their bowling, many cricket fans started bashing the management and head coach Gautam Gambhir for overlooking Axar for the crucial game. Fans took to the micro-blogging platform X (formerly Twitter) and expressed their anger over benching Axar, terming it a pathetic decision.
Many also criticised Sundar and Dube’s bowling and supported Patel’s inclusion over them. Have a look at some of the tweets below.
Is Axar Patel part of IND vs SA match of T20 World Cup 2026?
Axar Patel was overlooked for the clash. Washington Sundar was preferred over him once again.
Who is the vice-captain of India in T20 World Cup 2026?
Axar is the vice-captain of India in T20 World Cup 2026.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.