'Vice-captain dropped?' Fans react to India dropping Axar Patel against South Africa in Super 8s

Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed an unchanged playing XI, leaving vice-captain Axar Patel benched for the second consecutive match. Fans criticised the decision on social media.

India dropped their vice-captain Axar Patel in the Super 8 opener against South Africa in Ahmedabad.

India started their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 journey against South Africa in a rematch of last edition's final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But even before a single ball was played, controversy started around Team India's Selection against the Proteas, social media erupted when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed at the toss that India's playing level for the Super 8 opener would remain unchanged, meaning Axar Patel, the team's designated vice-captain of the tournament, was left on the bench for a second consecutive game.

How to watch the India vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2026 match?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2026 match on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium.

"Tactical" call or selection blunder?

As Suryakumar Yadav announced that the Indian team's playing XI will be unchanged from their last game against the Netherlands, the fans were quick to notice the absence of the left-arm all-rounder Axar Patel. Axar was appointed the vice captain for the T20 World Cup 2026 in the absence of Shubman Gill, who was dropped. As the Men in Blue entered the most important match against South Africa in the Super 8s. The designated all-rounder was dropped as Washington Sundar retained his spot in the playing eleven.

At the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the fact of dropping someone like Axar Patel and called it a very hard decision on the all-rounder. However, as per reports, India won the toss and chose to field due to the pitch conditions. However, the roles of both Axar and Washington Sundar seem to be the same in the Indian line-up, and Axar has proven himself as one of the premier spin bowling all-rounders in the world in recent times.

Moreover, with South Africa boasting hard-hitting right-handers, it was expected that Axar would return to the playing XI against the Proteas.

At the toss, Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, calling it "very hard" on Axar Patel. The team management reportedly opted for an unchanged lineup following India's victory over the Dutch, citing technical reasons related to the pitch conditions at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With the South African boosting heavy-hitting right-handers, fans had expected that Axar would return to the playing XI.

Fans' reaction

The decision sparked an immediate wave of criticism and memes across platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit.

Share