India’s all-rounder Axar Patel, who is quite versatile, has taken a sick leave from all the remaining T20I matches against South Africa. The illness forced the athlete to stop the series and hence the Indian cricket board went for a substitute. Shahbaz Ahmed has been announced as his successor for the forthcoming games.
The left-arm spinner, who is based in Mumbai, will be incorporated into the group of players for the T20Is in Lucknow and Ahmedabad on December 17 and 19, respectively. Ahmed’s entry opens the door for India to have a competent all-rounder option available to preserve the team’s equilibrium.
Shahbaz Ahmed has been named as Axar Patel’s replacement
Axar Patel, the brilliant Indian all-rounder, has been forced to pull out of the remaining T20 Internationals against South Africa due to sickness. Shahbaz Ahmed has been chosen to take his place for the T20s in Lucknow and Ahmedabad on December 17 and 19. In the first two games of the series, Patel not only bowled beautifully and took three wickets but also scored 23 and 21 in the visit; hence, he was recognized as a major contributor to India’s batting order.
Ahmed, although less versed in T20I cricket, is still bringing valuable international experience to the team. He has played in two earlier T20 Internationals in 2023, against respectively Bangladesh and Afghanistan. At the moment, India is in a commanding position in the series, having won the third T20I in Dharamsala convincingly thus leading 2-1. By allowing Shahbaz to take over, the Indian team is looking to carry on their good run in the remaining games and also win the series against the South Africans.
India’s squad for last two T20Is: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), 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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