Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh did not hold back in his criticism of the team management after the 76-run loss to South Africa in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage clash. Harbhajan feels that the analysts rely too much on match-ups which led to them dropping vice-captain Axar Patel for Washington Sundar. The legendary off-spinner labelled it as a 'strange decision' and pointed out at how South Africa's Keshav Maharaj defied match-ups and got the wicket of Rinku Singh.
"You played Washington Sundar by dropping who? Your vice-captain, Axar Patel. That was a strange decision. These match-ups are beyond my understanding. The computers show them, and they have no head or tail. Look at Keshav Maharaj, he got Rinku Singh out, and he was bowling to Dube as well, why was not every ball hit for a six then? All of these match-ups are useless, a good bowler can bowl to any type of batter," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
"Axar Patel should have played this match, he is your vice-captain. Washington Sundar did not bowl the first or the second over, where he turned the ball or something. He is a decent player, but in this match, Axar Patel should have been played," he added.
ALSO READ: Washington Sundar & David Miller involved in heated altercation, umpires intervene; watch video
Sundar bowled two overs, conceded 17 runs and remained wicketless. He walked out to bat at no.5 in the run chase but could only contribute with a run-a-ball 11, contributing to the collapse.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admits that it may have been the wrong call to include Sundar by dropping Patel. However, he explained that Sundar played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, because they wanted to use his off-spin against South Africa’s top-order left-handers.
"In our analysis, we felt the biggest threats were going to be Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and David Miller. When you can only pick one of the two options, we leaned towards someone who could bowl in the powerplay. Axar can bowl in the powerplay occasionally, of course. But we feel we've got Washington to a point where he's found a way to be effective in that phase," Ten Doeschate said in the press conference.
Who will come off the bench for Zimbabwe game?
The team management faces a conundrum going into the must-win game against Zimbabwe. The two players sitting on the sidelines – Patel and Sanju Samson – may get a place in the side as India’s struggles have continued. Also Kuldeep Yadav is on the bench. But, if India include Kuldeep, they will either have to sacrifice a pacer or an all-rounder. The latter will affect India’s batting depth which is crucial considering their woes in the recent games.