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Axar Patel Ruled Out of Final Two T20Is vs South Africa, Shahbaz Ahmed Joins Squad
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<p>Team India will be without all-rounder <strong>Axar Patel</strong> for the last two T20Is of the ongoing series against <strong>South Africa</strong>, as he has been sidelined due to illness. In his place, <strong>Shahbaz Ahmed</strong> has been called up to join the squad.</p> <p>According to an official statement from the <strong>Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)</strong>, Axar remains with the team in <strong>Lucknow</strong>, where he is being monitored by the medical staff. Incidentally, Lucknow is also the venue for the upcoming <strong>fourth T20I</strong>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="/news-images/39d6ed09b65f9a83054a.png" alt="Axar Patel ruled out" class="wp-image-217"/></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Axar Misses Consecutive Matches</strong></h3> <p>Axar had already missed the third T20I held in <strong>Dharamsala</strong> with the same illness. That game also saw <strong>Jasprit Bumrah</strong> sit out due to personal reasons. <strong>Kuldeep Yadav</strong> and <strong>Harshit Rana</strong> were drafted in as replacements, helping India cruise to a <strong>seven-wicket victory</strong>.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mixed Performances from Axar</strong></h3> <p>In the <strong>first T20I</strong> in <strong>Cuttack</strong>, Axar made a solid all-round contribution. He scored <strong>23 runs</strong> and delivered an economical spell, picking up <strong>2 wickets for just 7 runs</strong>. However, in the <strong>second game</strong> at <strong>New Chandigarh</strong>, his performance was more subdued — claiming one wicket and scoring <strong>21 runs</strong> after being promoted up the order in a high chase.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Shahbaz Ahmed Makes a Comeback</strong></h3> <p><strong>Shahbaz Ahmed</strong> returns to the national setup for the first time since representing India at the <strong>2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou</strong>. Though experienced in both ODIs and T20Is, the Bengal all-rounder hasn't featured in international cricket recently.</p> <p>His recent domestic form has been decent but not spectacular. In the <strong>Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy</strong>, he scored <strong>60 runs</strong> across five games and took <strong>4 wickets</strong>, making a case for his inclusion through consistency rather than standout numbers.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="/news-images/a8163e0ebf6b7121366a.png" alt="Axar Patel ruled out" class="wp-image-218"/></figure> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Series Update and What’s Ahead</strong></h3> <p>With a <strong>2–1 lead</strong> in the five-match series, India will look to wrap things up in the next two games. After Lucknow, the teams will head to <strong>Ahmedabad</strong> for the final T20I.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>India’s Updated Squad for the Last Two T20Is</strong></h3> <p>Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed</p>