T20 World Cup 2026: Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar had an off day at the office as he failed to leave an impact with the bat and ball during the T20 World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday. Notably, the team management decided to replace vice-captain Axar Patel with Washington in this game, a move that backfired badly as India succumbed to a huge defeat against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Sundar scored just 11 runs in his outing with the bat as he bowled two overs for 17 runs, remaining wicketless.
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In one of the incidents during the game, Sundar also had an on-field altercation with South African batter David Miller. In a video from the match that went viral on social media, Washington can be spotted complaining to the umpire about Miller backing too close to the stumps at the non-striker's end.
Sundar leaped out of his delivery stride toward the spot where Miller was positioned. After the over concluded, Miller was visibly advancing toward the Indian player, berating him as they became embroiled in a fiery exchange. Ishan Kishan, Stubbs, and the on-field umpire stepped in to break up the confrontation. Check out the video here:
Heated Words Exchanged Between Miller And Washington Sundar 🌶️
— CricketSanctum (@SanctumCricket) February 22, 2026
Both are usually the calmest on the field, but this time even they couldn’t keep their cool 🔥
pic.twitter.com/QxsFiBhXkp
India's First Defeat In 18 ICC Matches
India suffered its first defeat in 18 matches in ICC events across white-ball formats since losing the finals of the 2023 World Cup against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
"That they are beatable, India come with as I mentioned an incredible team, But I think for us in a tournament like this, it's about making sure that we do, as I said, I keep going back to the simple things and making sure that we stay in our lane as a player and do the job and get the job done. We're a mature team. A lot of guys have played together, and a lot of cricket for South Africa, and that goes a long way under pressure. So I think it's just staying in your lane, making sure that you get the job done and keep wanting more," David Miller told the reporters after the match.
For South Africa, captain Aiden Markram (1/5), Marco Jansen (4/22), Keshav Maharaj (3/24) and Corbin Bosch (2/12) had a brilliant day with the ball.
Inputs from Agency