Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes India’s crushing defeat by South Africa in the Super Eights at the ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup could be a much-needed wake-up call rather than a death blow to their semi-final hopes.
India were dismantled at the Narendra Modi Stadiumwhere Marc Jansen’s stunning 4-22 led to a ruthless bowling performance by South Africa. Chasing 188, India collapsed for 111 in 18.5 overs, marking their first loss in an ICC tournament since the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same venue.
Responding to the setback in the ICC Review, Shastri struck a measured tone, suggesting the defeat may have come at the right time in the tournament.
“You win 12 games on the trot, it’s definitely going to be an off day. And I’m glad it came early. It might just be the jolt India need,” Shastri said.
After being reduced to 51/5 in the chase, India never recovered as South Africa’s disciplined attack, led by Jansen (4-22) and Keshav Maharaj (3-24), exposed the weaknesses in the defending champions’ batting unit. The heavy margin of defeat also left India with a net rate of -3.8, meaning they now need to win their remaining Super Eight matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to remain firmly in the semi-final contention.
Shastri hinted that apart from the result, the manner of the defeat could prompt a strategic rethink in the camp.
“It might also make them rethink their strategy in terms of the composition of the future side. They would learn from that last experience not to take things for granted because in this Super Eight, if you lose one more (match) then you really put yourself under serious pressure,” he added.
India entered the encounter unbeaten in the tournament but their batting on the slow black surface faltered after South Africa recovered from 20/3 to 187/7 thanks to David Miller’s 63 and Dewald Brevis’ 45.
While Jasprit Bumrah’s 3-15 offered a bright spot with the ball, the chase never gained traction, Shivam Dube’s 42 showing a lack of resilience against the relentless Proteas attack.
But for Shastri, the bigger picture remains intact – provided India reacts quickly. With the Super Eights format leaving little margin for error, another slip-up could seriously dent their semi-final aspirations and make the upcoming matches virtual must-win encounters.
CALL FOR TACTICAL CHANGE
Quality spinners have made a big impact in the T20 World Cup, especially in the matches held in India. Considering the conditions, Shastri pushed for the inclusion of another spinner to increase variation and provide different angles of attack.
“I think he (Axar Patel) needs to be brought back. You need that experience. I would say play both (Patel and Sundar). Give yourself that extra option. Because on a given day you have to have one bowler who is off. Like Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday. He was not at his best and he paid the price,” he said.
“If Axar Patel is playing, he might be batting at No. 8. You have Hardik Pandya at No. 5, Shivam Dube at No. 6, you have Washington Sundar at No. 7. Axar might as well be at No. 5. Now when eight batsmen can’t bat that job in T20, especially in cricket, you’re missing something in cricket. You’re not giving yourself that extra bowler option, which I think is important, Rinku Singh might have to miss out, but if he has to come, he has to come in as a specialist,” concluded Shastri.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 25, 2026
