Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticised India’s playing eleven combination and Axar Patel’s omission from the team in their Super 8 fixture against South Africa in the ongoing T20 World Cup
in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Ashwin recalled Patel’s match-winning partnership against the same side in the T20 WC final in 2024, alongside Indian batting heavyweight Virat Kohli, and highlighted his role as an aggressive batter.
India chose Washington Sundar in their Super 8 clash against the Proteas, leaving out Axar Patel, who is also the Indian vice-captain. South Africa ended India’s 12-match unbeaten streak at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, handing the defending champions a 76-run defeat in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
However, Sundar could not make a significant impact in the game, conceding 17 runs in the two overs he bowled. His performance with the bat was also disappointing, managing only 11 runs despite coming in at No.5, ahead of Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.
This defeat was India’s second-biggest loss by runs in all T20 Internationals, following an 80-run defeat against New Zealand in Wellington in 2019. It also marked India’s biggest defeat in T20 World Cup history.
What Ashwin Said On India’s Loss?
“In the last T20 World Cup, Axar had come in when India were in the same situation as they were here. He batted with Virat and made a partnership. Of course, Virat’s experience counted, but Axar was not any less. If you had wickets in hand and some stability after ten overs, India would have chased it down,” Ashwin was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat‘.
India’s 76-run loss against South Africa has complicated their qualification scenarios for the semi-finals. The Men in Blue will need to win the remaining two games with a good net run rate to keep their hopes of defending the T20 World Cup alive.
(With inputs from Agencies)
