Axar Patel ruled out of the remaining T20I series against South Africa; replacement announced

India have suffered a setback ahead of the business end of the five-match T20I series against South Africa, with all-rounder Axar Patel ruled out of the remaining two games due to illness. A domestic Left-arm spinning all-rounder has been drafted in as his replacement for the fourth T20I in Lucknow and the series finale in Ahmedabad, as confirmed by the BCCI.​

India lose key all-round option as Axar Patel sidelined

BCCI stated that Axar remains with the squad in Lucknow, where he will undergo further medical assessment even as he sits out the last two fixtures. The 30-year-old had already missed the third T20I in Dharamsala, where India still cruised to a seven-wicket win to take a 2-1 lead in the series despite his absence.​

Axar’s campaign featured mixed returns in the first two matches: he contributed a composed 23 off 21 and match-changing figures of 2 for 7 in Cuttack, before returning 1 for 27 from three overs and a run-a-ball 21 in a failed No. 3 experiment in New Chandigarh during a 214-run chase. His exit comes alongside the temporary unavailability of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the Dharamsala game due to personal reasons, forcing India to lean on Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana, both of whom responded impressively in the third T20I win.​

With Axar’s ability to bowl in the powerplay, control the middle overs and offer quick runs down the order, India lose a vital piece of their balance just months before finalising plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The remaining two matches in Lucknow and Ahmedabad, both on larger grounds with traditionally responsive pitches for spinners, would have been ideal conditions for Axar’s defensive control and batting depth at No. 7.​

Like-for-like replacement for Axar Patel

In Axar’s absence, Shahbaz Ahmed’s recall gives India a like-for-like left-arm spin-bowling all-round option, even if he is still at the fringes of the international setup. The 30-year-old has previously represented India in three ODIs and two T20Is, with his last appearance coming in the gold-medal match of the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou against Afghanistan.​

Shahbaz’s recent domestic form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has been modest, with 60 runs in five innings for Bengal at a strike rate a little over 130 and four wickets at an economy rate above eight, underlining that this call-up is more about role fit and squad continuity than blazing current numbers. At the broader T20 level, his 114-match record of 1,355 runs at an average in the mid-20s and a strike rate in the mid-130s, along with 70-plus wickets at under eight runs an over, reflects a utility all-rounder capable of holding an end and chipping in with crucial runs.​

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India, leading 2-1 heading into Lucknow and Ahmedabad, will now assess whether Shahbaz slots straight into the XI as a third spin option alongside Kuldeep and potentially a part-time spinner. With South Africa needing wins in both remaining games to snatch the series, Shahbaz’s inclusion not only covers Axar’s role but also hands the team management another data point while fine-tuning the pool of spin-bowling all-rounders for future white-ball assignments.​

India’s squad for last two T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed

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