Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir are facing criticism for their surprise decisions during the team’s massive 51-run defeat in the second T20 match of the ongoing five-match T20 series against South Africa in Mullanpur on December 11.
After South Africa leveled the T20 series 1-1 with a stunning win in Mullanpur, Suryakumar Yadav struggled to justify a decision that played a crucial role in India’s defeat. They had a huge target of 214 runs to chase, but they messed things up by sending Axar Patel at No. 3.
India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill was out for a golden duck in the very first over. At that time, everyone expected the arrival of Suryakumar or Tilak Varma. Both of them have handled this role many times and know how to handle the quick fallout.
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But Akshar came to bat. This move confused and stunned everyone, as the situation did not demand it. India already had a left-handed batsman at the top in Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak has a proven record of scoring big at No. 3 in T20Is. If the team wanted stability, Tilak was the obvious choice.
If they wanted explosive hitting, Suryakumar himself was the best option, but neither of them were utilized. Unfortunately, the call backfired as Axar was asked to play a role that did not suit the match situation, and the Indian all-rounder could only score 21 runs off 21 balls, leaving him in big trouble.
Suryakumar Yadav struggles to defend Axar Patel’s call as South Africa level T20I series 1-1
However, this was not Akshar’s fault as the position and his batting style did not match. But the explanation behind the decision left many disappointed. It seemed as if India were experimenting without any clear plan, despite the fact that the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few months away.
This has been the story of recent T20I games, where they are trying to move up the batting order without understanding which player fits where. When asked about the surprise move, the Indian captain said that he sent Akshar higher up the order because he had batted well in the previous match and they expected him to repeat that performance in Mullanpur.
Suryakumar Yadav said in the post-match presentation, “We thought that in the last game, we saw Axar bat really well in the longer format. And we wanted him to bat the same way today. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, but he batted well. But we will see what happens for us in the next game.”
Also read: With all due respect, I disagree..: Robin Uthappa launches sharp attack on Gautam Gambhir after India’s defeat in the second T20 match
Ryan ten Doeschate reveals why India is testing new batting combinations ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026
On the other hand, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate explained that they are experimenting with different batting positions as they often lose three quick wickets early and need a strong middle structure. The team is trying to find a comfortable relationship between the openers and the hitters.
Ryan ten Doeschate said after the match, “We’re trying things combination-wise; we’ve got eight or nine games now before the World Cup. And I guess again, to be quite frank, we found ourselves at 35 three times more than we wanted to in the last few months.”
The coach signed off by saying, “So it’s just an exploration of how we can enhance the batting, you know, the link between the openers and the guys we want to come in and destroy it all around, maybe when things get a little bit tricky.”
