T20I vice-captain Axar Patel was dropped in two of the nine games India played en route to winning the T20 World Cup for the third time in history, both in Ahmedabad. One of those omissions came in the Super 8 clash against South Africa, which India lost by 76 runs and which briefly pushed them to the brink of elimination.
The defeat triggered criticism of the team management’s decision to leave out Axar in such a crucial game. Although India maintained it was a tactical call, the all-rounder himself wasn’t pleased with the decision.
With South Africa fielding several left-handers in their batting line-up, India opted to play Washington Sundar instead, hoping to gain a favourable match-up. On paper, the move appeared logical, but the game never unfolded in a way that allowed India to use Sundar as intended.
While the selection call ultimately had little bearing on the heavy defeat, it still drew widespread scrutiny. Inside the dressing room too, emotions were running high.
Speaking to The Indian Express, captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted Axar was furious after being left out of the playing XI. The skipper revealed he later apologised to the all-rounder and acknowledged that the call may have been a mistake.
“He was very angry, and he should have been. He’s an experienced player, he leads a franchise. He should be angry. I apologised. I told him I made a mistake and I’m sorry, but it was a call taken for the team. It was a hard conversation. He took it in his stride and we talked it through the next day,” Suryakumar said.
The captain also described the loss to South Africa as a turning point in India’s campaign.
“India vs South Africa was the eye-opener. I never had any doubt in this team, but it tightened our screws. After that there was no option of coming back. For us, Zimbabwe was a pre-quarter-final. West Indies was the quarter-final. Then the semis and the final. We had to play every game like a knockout.”
India responded strongly after the setback, winning their remaining Super 8 matches before defeating England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final to become the first team in history to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.
