Sunil Gavaskar made a startling call for India’s first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight clash against South Africa.
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Cricket Live’ programme, JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar
said vice-captain Axar Patel will surely come back in India’s playing XI, but the player who sits out was a surprise.
India will face the last edition’s finalist, South Africa, in their first fixture of Super Eights on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
On the likely changes India will make for the Super 8 clash against South Africa, the ‘Little Master’ said, “I feel Axar Patel will definitely come back to the playing XI for the Super 8 games. Now, whether he comes in place of Arshdeep Singh, we will have to wait and see.”
“Whether Washington keeps his place is another aspect we don’t know. My feeling is that Washington will probably keep his place. On a ground like the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on a pitch with hardly any turn, the team management might not go with Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep also did not play too many matches against South Africa in the five-match T20I series.”
“My feeling is that Washington Sundar, being able to bat at number eight and hit the ball, gives him an advantage. So I feel only the return of Axar Patel in place of Arshdeep Singh will be the change,” Gavaskar added.
India’s Super 8s Schedule:
- Feb 22 – India vs South Africa – Ahmedabad
- Feb 26 – India vs Zimbabwe – Chennai
- March 1 – India vs West Indies – Kolkata
India’s Results At T20 World Cup
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 7, 2026 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | India won by 29 runs |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | India won by 93 runs |
| Feb 15, 2026 | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | India won by 61 runs |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | India won by 17 runs |
India booked their spot in the Super 8 after going unbeaten in the group stage.
(With inputs from Agencies)
