India succumbed to an embarrassing 76-run defeat against South Africa in their Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday (February 22).
After the game, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addressed the decision to leave out vice-captain Axar Patel from the playing XI. The team management opted to go with Washington Sundar instead.
Even though it was a crucial fixture, Kotak insisted that Axar’s confidence would not be affected by the snub. He also revealed that captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir explained the selection call to Axar.
"See, obviously, Surya and Gautam both spoke to him. Which is obvious, whether we say it or not," Kotak said after the match. "We thought that an off-spinner was needed because three left-handers up front. We got the wickets in the beginning. Washington didn't bowl in the Powerplay.
"But, actually, he was supposed to bowl in a Powerplay. So, that can change according to the match. For that reason, this combination was decided. And the rest - what you are saying about confidence - 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."
Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma’s form has become a major talking point, with the southpaw registering three ducks in four innings. The batting coach acknowledged that India may need to reassess their opening combination, and didn’t rule out the possibility of Sanju Samson’s return to the playing XI.
"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. If we have to change something, what do we change and how do we change it?"
The thrashing at the hands of South Africa has put the defending champions under immense pressure, as they are now facing a must-win situation in the remaining Super 8 fixtures to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals. Two back-to-back wins might also not be enough, as the Net Run Rate took a severe hit after the dismal show in Ahmedabad.
However, Kotak said the Indian cricketers are accustomed to handling pressure. "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. There is more pressure on the batsman because it is a one-ball game. For a bowler, it is different. If he misses one or two balls, he can still bowl a good one.
"But 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?
"So there will be pressure. That is the whole thing. But there are two matches left. We know where we are. 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."
India will face Zimbabwe in their next Super 8 clash on February 22 at Chepauk, followed by the West Indies on March 1 in Kolkata.
(With India Today Inputs)
