India lead the five-match T20I series 2-1.
After four games in the five-match IND vs SA series, India lead 2-1. Coming into the 5th T20I in Ahmedabad, the spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, will not be featuring in the playing XI. He missed the last match as well and has been ruled out of the series.
The all-rounder has fallen ill. The medical team in Lucknow has been monitoring his condition. Instead, Bengal player Shahbaz Ahmed is added to the squad.
In the two games that he played, Axar managed a total of 44 runs and picked up three wickets. It will be interesting to see how Shahbaz Ahmed fits into the playing combination, given that Kuldeep Yadav, who replaced Axar in the last game, picked up two wickets in two overs.
However, given that the T20 World Cup 2026 is fast approaching, team India has been keen to try new combinations to put their best foot forward.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
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In the series so far, one common factor for both teams has been poor batting strength. While all the players are big on paper, some are struggling with form and consistency. Talking about the Indian contingent, Shubman Gill is coming back after an injury, and the captain Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t fired in recent times.
India’s No.3 is also a dilemma, with as many as three players being used at that spot. They are Tilak Varma, Surya, and Shivam Dube. However, in the first match, Axar Patel had walked out to bat.
While India might be experimenting for their perfect XI, the inclusion of Kuldeep in place of Axar in the last match presented a chance for the players to bat at their original positions. Axar is a proper all-rounder, while Kuldeep can hit a few audacious shots. It will force the batters to stay on the wickets longer with no support lower down the order.
Tilak can be trusted with India’s No.3 duties again, a spot where he has struck a couple of centuries and usually played better than the rest of the options.
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