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India take on South Africa in a high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The game is a crucial opportunity for the Men in Blue to secure an early advantage in the race for the semi-finals.
Why Axar Patel was dropped from India's playing XI for clash against South Africa?
The toss saw South African captain Aiden Markram elect to bat first. During the exchange, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav came out with a surprise regarding the team’s composition. Despite the high-pressure nature of the fixture, India chosen to field an unchanged playing XI from their previous match against the Netherlands.
This tactical decision means that vice-captain Axar Patel will once again sit on the bench, with Washington Sundar retaining his place in the lineup. Suryakumar did admit that the move as a 'harsh decision; for Axar but clarified that the omission was strictly based on strategy rather than any injury concerns, as the management opted for stability following their unbeaten group-stage run.
"It’s very harsh on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team - just a tactical decision, so no changes from the last game," Suryakumar said after losing the toss.
In a bold selection call, Axar Patel, who serves as the vice-captain of the Indian squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, has been left out of the playing XI for this crucial Super Eight encounter. Despite his leadership role and status as a premier all-rounder, the team management has opted to bench him in favor of maintaining the lineup that secured a victory in their previous outing.
With the decision to stick to an unchanged XI, Washington Sundar steps in as India’s primary spin-bowling all-rounder. Sundar's inclusion provides the team with a specialist off-spin option, which is expected to play a vital role in balancing the bowling attack alongside the mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy and the pace battery of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
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The choice to favor Sundar over Axar appears to be a calculated tactical move aimed at countering South Africa’s batting lineup. The Proteas feature four dangerous left-handed batters in their top order, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, and Marco Jansen.
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India's playing XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
South Africa's playing XI:
Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
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