TOP STORIES
"He was very angry": Suryakumar Yadav reflects on India's call to drop Axar Patel for South Africa clash
India’s victorious campaign at the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 will be remembered for many iconic moments, but skipper Suryakumar Yadav recently revealed that one decision during the tournament weighs heavily on him. Yadav admitted that dropping all-rounder Axar Patel for the Super 8 clash against South Africa was a mistake.
The decision, which saw spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar included in the playing XI, did not go as planned, with India suffering a heavy defeat against the Proteas. The defeat against South Africa was India's only loss in an otherwise dominant tournament campaign.
During the Super 8 stage of the tournament, India tinkered with their lineup against South Africa, deciding to rest Axar Patel and bring in Washington Sundar. However, the move backfired, with South Africa securing a convincing win.
"He (Axar Patel) was very angry, and he should have been. He’s an experienced player; he leads a franchise. He should be angry," Suryakumar told The Indian Express.
Suryakumar said that after the defeat he personally spoke with Axar. The skipper revealed that he apologised to Axar for the call, admitting that the move had not worked in the team’s favour.
"I apologised. I told him I made a mistake, and I’m sorry, but it was a call for the team. It was a hard conversation. He took it in his stride, and we talked it through the next day."
Meanwhile, Axar Patel performed a major role in India's title win, taking 11 wickets in eight games. His performance in the semi-final against England was highly effective, contributing heavily in the field with two astonishing catches.
Tags
More News
PSL hands two-year ban to Blessing Muzarabani
Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani has been banned by the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for two years from participating in the league. Muzarabani has been handed the ban after he opted out of the tournament at the last moment to join the Indian Premier League. The Zimbabwe quick, who had initially gone unsold at both the IPL and PSL auctions, was roped in by
Hasan Ali roped in by Yorkshire for T20 Blast
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali is set to join Yorkshire for the Vitality Blast, replacing Naveen-ul-Haq, who has been ruled out due to injury. Hasan is tremendously experienced in the shortest format of the game, carrying a vast amount of experience of playing in leagues across the world. Previously, Hasan has enjoyed three stints with Warwic...
"The conditions matter a lot": Babar Azam on his strike rate
Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam is basking in the glow of the team's success following five victories on the bounce that have propelled the team to the top spot in the PSL 2026 standings. Their latest victory was against Multan Sultans on Monday, where they came out all guns blazing across all departments to further stretch their victory momentum. Kusal Mendis once again stol...
"Watch out for the sharks": Ex-New Zealand player's huge advice to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
In a rare failure, teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struggled to demonstrate his batting class on Tuesday in Rajasthan Royal's IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad after being dismissed by SRH quick Praful Hinge, who enjoyed a dream Indian Premier League debut. Right from his very first delivery, Hinge showed remarkable composure. He struck immediately, dismi...
IPL 2026: SRH's Praful Hinge opens up about dream IPL debut
Undoubtedly, the IPL has always been a stage where unknown names can transform into overnight sensations, and that's what happened with Praful Hinge, who impressed everyone with his high-voltage performance. Making his IPL debut while representing Sunrisers Hyderabad, the 24-year-old right-arm quick rose to the occasion with the new ball against Rajasthan Royal...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram