IND vs SA T20 World Cup Super 8s: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted it was a mistake to drop Axar Patel in an important match, revealing Axar was visibly upset and prompting a personal apology from Suryakumar afterward.
The decision occurred in the Super 8s against South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium—the only match India lost. Axar, previously sidelined due to a minor injury, was replaced by Washington Sundar as part of a tactical move. Suryakumar shared how tough it was to address the decision with Axar after the match.
"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 was quoted as saying to the Indian Express.
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"I apologised. I told him I made a mistake and apologized, 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", he added.
India lost the Ahmedabad match by 76 runs. The choice to bench Axar quickly became one of the event’s most debated topics.
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Learning from this, India restored Axar to the XI for the next Super 8s match.
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Axar’s return played a crucial part in India's subsequent T20 World Cup success.
He took 11 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 8.20, becoming India's most reliable bowler in the middle overs.
His best performance came in the final with figures of 3/27.
He contributed in the semifinal against England by taking two catches.
He also scored a few quickfire knocks whenever the team needed him to.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side successfully defended their T20 World Cup title and became the first team to win a World Cup on home soil.