Suryakumar and Gambhir explained Sundar's selection for SA clash to Axar

The drama behind India’s team selection for the South Africa match is so INTERESTING! Before the big Super 8 match against South Africa, India made a BIG decision – they dropped Axar Patel and played Washington Sundar instead! And guess what? Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Coach Gautam Gambhir personally TOLD Axar why! Let me explain everything!

What Happened in Ahmedabad?

So on Sunday, India played South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was India’s first Super 8 match and everyone was SO excited! But then the team was announced and… WAIT! Where is Axar?

Axar Patel, who played ALL group matches and did well, was NOT in the playing XI! Instead, Washington Sundar played!

And then the match… OH NO! India lost by 76 runs! South Africa made 187 runs and India only 111 runs! It was a BAD day for India!

Some people were waiting for India to fail under Surya & Gambhir and they got their chance in last game. People are trolling Surya & GG as if they lost all games in this T20WC. There's forced hate on tl rather than criticism. Some trollers don't seem sad but they're finding… pic.twitter.com/8fjVfUa3is
— SKY & Supla Shot (@sky_63_mr_t20i) February 24, 2026

🚨 PV SINDHU STORMS INTO SEMIS FOLKS! 💥

She won the first game 21-11 against the Reigning World Champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 🇯🇵, Later Akane had to retire due to injury concern!

ALL THE BEST FOR SEMIS, SINDHU! 🇮🇳💙 pic.twitter.com/G0riVSbr0M
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) January 9, 2026

Why Was Axar Dropped?

After the match, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak explained everything! He said the team wanted an OFF-SPINNER because South Africa has THREE left-handers at top of order!

South Africa’s top batters:

Quinton de Kock (left-handed)

Reeza Hendricks (right-handed)

Rassie van der Dussen (right-handed)

Aiden Markram (right-handed)

Heinrich Klaasen (right-handed)

David Miller (LEFT-handed!)

Marco Jansen (LEFT-handed!)

And more left-handers later!

So India thought – Washington Sundar is off-spinner (bowls to left-handers with ball turning away), while Axar is left-arm spinner (ball turns INTO left-handers). They wanted an off-spinner against lefties!

Kotak said: “We thought that an off-spinner was needed because three left-handers up front.”

Did Surya and Gambhir Talk to Axar?

YES! Kotak revealed that captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir personally SPOKE to Axar before the match!

“See, obviously, Surya and Gautam both spoke to him. Which is obvious, whether we say it or not,” Kotak said.

That means they didn’t just drop him without explanation! They TOLD him why! That’s GOOD captaincy and coaching!

Was Axar Sad or Angry?

Kotak said Axar is a mature player and NOT affected!

“Axar is such a player; he has played so much and performed so much, he doesn’t lack confidence. It was very clear from him, and from the head coach and the captain, what we are thinking and why we are doing this.”

So Axar understood! He is professional! He knows sometimes the team needs different combinations!

But Washington Sundar didn’t bowl in Powerplay!

Here’s the FUNNY part! Kotak admitted that Washington Sundar was SUPPOSED to bowl in Powerplay (first 6 overs) against left-handers! But because of how the match went, he didn’t!

“But, actually, he was supposed to bowl in a Powerplay. So, that can change according to the match.”

See, plans change in cricket! Just because you pick a player doesn’t mean they will bowl exactly when you planned!

Some people were waiting for India to fail under Surya & Gambhir and they got their chance in last game. People are trolling Surya & GG as if they lost all games in this T20WC. There's forced hate on tl rather than criticism. Some trollers don't seem sad but they're finding… pic.twitter.com/8fjVfUa3is
— SKY & Supla Shot (@sky_63_mr_t20i) February 24, 2026

'All this politics from Gambhir has damaged the image of Team India'#GautamGambhir #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup2026 https://t.co/FUHcfXMbjv
— CrickIt (@CrickitbyHT) February 24, 2026

Should Sanju Samson Open Now?

Kotak also talked about opening combinations! Abhishek Sharma has scored THREE ducks in the tournament! In the match against SA, he got the start but was ultimately out on the score of 15.

Kotak said they might think about Sanju Samson opening!

“See, basically, if we felt that Sanju’s last few innings were low on confidence and Ishan was scoring runs, then obviously you go with Ishan.

Now we are in a situation where we have to think about whether we need to change anything or if we should still go with the same thing. But yes, it is definitely something to think about.”

So maybe Sanju opens vs Zimbabwe on Feb 26? That would be EXCITING! Sanju hit 22 runs in 8 balls in his only match! He’s EXPLOSIVE!

India in a MUST-WIN Situation!

After losing to South Africa, India’s semi-final hopes are in DANGER! They MUST win remaining matches:

Match	Opponent	Date	Venue
1	Zimbabwe	Feb 26	Chennai
2	West Indies	Mar 1	Kolkata

Does the Team Feel Pressure?

Kotak said YES but players are used to it!

“See, I feel that even in a normal game, if you play in India, there is natural pressure. Any professional – any batsman or bowler – feels it when they are playing.”

But he said players MUST handle pressure!

“With the amount of cricket we play, we have to take that pressure. Everyone has to take it – that anxiety, that pressure. If a batsman does not take it at this level, or if a bowler does not take it, then where will he take it?”

What Kotak Said About the Loss

Kotak was HONEST about India’s performance:

“One bad day we had – we have to accept it – we did not play well. And we will have to move forward and try to win the two games properly because we do not have any other option, whether we take pressure or not.”

That’s RIGHT! Accept the loss, learn from mistakes, move forward!

My Thoughts

You know what I think? India made the RIGHT decision picking Washington Sundar! Against left-handers, off-spinners are a good option! But Axar is ALSO a great player and will come back stronger!

The IMPORTANT thing is – Suryakumar and Gambhir TALKED to Axar! They didn’t just ignore him! That’s how you keep team unity! Players feel respected even when dropped!

Now India must FOCUS on Zimbabwe and West Indies! Win both matches! Score BIG runs! Bowl them out cheap! Improve NRR!