India’s Axar Patel celebrates with teammates (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Criticism continues to mount over India’s decision to bench vice-captain Axar Patel for the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 against the South African national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, the team management decided to include Washington Sundar in his place, citing South Africa’s top order as the primary reason. However, the tactical change did not have the desired effect and Sundar produced a stunning performance as India slumped to a crushing 76-run defeat.
Why India is in deep trouble | T20 World Cup 2026 | India vs South Africa
Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has now joined the growing list of voices questioning the move. While Jasprit Bumrah removed Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton early, Sundar failed to disrupt the middle order. He bowled just two overs, conceding 17 runs at an economy of 8.5 and was handled comfortably by David Miller and Dewald Brevis.Rahane did not hide his disappointment with the selection process.“I’m really surprised that Axar Patel didn’t play. I don’t understand what’s going on. Yes, Washington Sundar is a quality player, there’s no one against him. But Axar has done so well in different situations. Sometimes I feel if you get too smart it can hold you back. You brought in Sundar because too many left-handers in the South African line-up skipped two, but he.He further emphasized that consensus theories do not always guarantee success.“There is no guarantee that off-spinners will do really well against left-handers. Axar’s record against left-handed batsmen is really good. We have all seen what Keshav Maharaj has done. You have to have a quality player in your team who has done so well in the past,” he added.What critics said made the decision even more puzzling was the fact that Axar is the designated vice-captain. He was rested before the Netherlands match, giving Sundar his first World T20 start in 2026. Many expected Axar to return for the crucial Super 8 encounter, but Sundar insisted on the lead – a move that backfired.Rahane reiterated that thinking too much could have cost the team dearly.“When you think, I get matches. Axar Patel is a quality player; you have done well in the past. He is a quality left-arm spinner with great character. Nobody is against Washington Sundar, but you have to back your main guy,” Rahane said.“He is the vice-captain of the team. Unless he has a defect that we don’t know about. If he is fit, he should be in the starting line-up every day,” he added.After the heavy defeat in Ahmedabad, the pressure on Gambhir and the think tank increased. With their campaign now on shaky ground, India face a must-win clash with Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday, February 26. Another setback could effectively end their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
