During their successful T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, India only suffered one defeat—against South Africa in the Super 8 stage. Instead of Axar Patel, Washington Sundar participated in the match. The right-arm off-spinner was added to the team by the Men in Blue, presumably in an effort to test South Africa’s batting lineup, which is dominated by southpaws.
Washington scored 17 in two overs and 11 in one run-a-ball with the bat, but could not have an impact in that game. After this game, critics and experts bashed up Axar who has made India win several matches especially in white-ball cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav further claims that Axar, the Indian team vice-captain in the Twenty20 International cricket, who is also the captain of the Delhi Capitals IPL team, was so angry being sidelined to play in the match against the Proteas. The Indian captain later on apologized to Axar after the game.
“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 said while speaking to the Indian Express.
“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,” he added.
Axar Patel Shines with Ball Despite Limited Batting Role
With an astounding total of 11 wickets from seven games at an average of 18.63 and a strike rate of 13.63, Axar concluded the competition. Considering that India played the most of their games on flat tracks, his economy rate was a respectable 8.20. The Gujarat all-rounder made a significant contribution on the field, particularly in the semi-final match against England, despite not having many batting opportunities.
But Suryakumar’s batting campaign was unremarkable. The right-handed hitter failed to live up to his expectations, save from the game-winning half-century he scored against the USA. He scored 242 runs at a strike rate of 136.72 and an average of 30.25 in nine games.
