Former India coach Ravi Shastri has urged the team to make a key change ahead of their crucial Super 8 matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies on February 26 and March 1 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, and Eden Gardens, Kolkata, respectively. Shastri believes that India’s poor showing against South Africa could prove beneficial, as it happened early in the Super 8 stage, giving the team a chance to regroup and come back stronger.
Shastri specifically suggested that India should recall left-arm spinning allrounder Axar Patel, who was left out against South Africa, citing the need for balance in the side. He recommended playing both Axar and Washington Sundar to ensure batting depth and provide additional bowling options, potentially dropping Rinku Singh if necessary. “You need that extra option because on any day a bowler might have an off day. Varun Chakravarthy found that out in the last game,” he said.
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He elaborated that having Axar in the side strengthens India’s No. 8 position, allowing a flexible batting order with Hardik Pandya at five, Shivam Dube at six, Washington Sundar at seven, and Axar at eight. Shastri also stressed that eight batters should suffice in a T20 game, and the main focus should be on providing extra bowling options, rather than compromising the team’s bowling depth to accommodate a specialist batter.
India’s think tank, including captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, will now have to weigh Shastri’s advice carefully to ensure India remains in contention for the semi-finals.
