3 min readFeb 23, 2026 12:15 AM IST
Eyebrows were raised when India lined up without vice-captain Axar Patel in their crucial Super 8 match against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Sunday. The decision to bench the allrounder in his home state proved to be India’s undoing as they were left wanting with the bat, losing the match by a massive 76 runs, their worst defeat by a margin of runs in the T20 World Cups.
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India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also said that leaving Patel out of the match looked like the wrong decision in hindsight. “We spent so much time in deliberating. We were looking at match-ups. Hindsight, it looked like the wrong decision. Take nothing away from Axar. Very disappointed. Don’t except someone to give the world cup on a platter. We are allowed one mess-up. Guys can produce a turnaround. Two big games coming up,” he said at the post-match press conference.
Earlier, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav had said at toss that they were fielding the same team which played against Netherlands, adding that it was a tactical decision which saw Patel make way for Washington Sundar.
“It’s very harsh on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team – just a tactical decision, so no changes from the last game,” he had said. But the decision backfired with Sundar having an ordinary game, scoring just 11 with the bat and going wicketless in 2 overs with the ball.
In the match, David Miller rolled back the years with a stroke-filled fifty before South Africa executed clinically with the ball to choke India and secure a handsome 76-run win in their Group 1 Super Eights match.
Opting to bat, South Africa rode on Miller (63 off 35 balls) and young Dewald Brevis’ (45 off 29 balls) recovery act — 97-run fourth-wicket stand from just 51 balls — to post 187 for 7.
In reply, India never got going as the Aiden Markram-led side outsmarted them to bowl the co-hosts out for 111 in 18.5 overs with Marco Jansen taking 4/22. Keshav Maharaj grabbed 3/24, while Corbin Bosch (2/12) also gave crucial breakthroughs.
