Why was Axar Patel benched? Was India overconfident against South Africa? Will Abhishek Sharma get dropped for Sanju Samson? All these questions were asked after the Ahmedabad thrashing. Some of them have been answered. The West Indies rolled back the clock to 2016 against Zimbabwe. And Pakistan writes to England about a supposed ban.
Samson in, Abhishek out?
Abhishek Sharma didn’t register a 4th consecutive duck but departed for another low score against South Africa. Will India now drop the opener? India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was asked the question in Ahmedabad. He didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing Sanju Samson in, but also talked about backing those who’ve been in the side for the last 18 months.
Why did Washington Sundar play?
Why was Washington Sundar picked over Axar Patel? Ryan ten Doeschate stated that the management felt the left-handed batters in South Africa’s side were the biggest threat to India. That’s why Sundar was selected. Moreover, he was expected to bowl in the powerplay, but his services weren’t needed after Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh’s incredible start.
PCB responds to ban rumours
PCB will write to the ECB after reports emerged that Pakistani cricketers may be shadow-banned from the Hundred 2026 auction by four franchises with links to the IPL. Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan was also asked about the scenario, and he simply stated that he and the other players can’t do much.
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What were India & Tilak Varma doing?
Sunil Gavaskar thinks India were overconfident while chasing 188 against South Africa. The Men in Blue didn’t learn from the Proteas, especially how Dewald Brevis and David Miller batted. The Indian legend also expressed disappointment with Tilak Varma. Gavaskar doesn’t understand why Tilak ran down the wicket on the second ball he faced when his job was to consolidate after Ishan Kishan’s dismissal.
Amir takes back ‘slogger’ claim
Mohammad Amir has clarified his previous statement about Abhishek Sharma, where he called the Indian opener a ‘slogger’. Amir explained that he was talking about Abhishek as someone from the opposition and believes that his technique has several holes in it.
Kohli’s record goes down
West Indies broke several records against Zimbabwe. They posted the second-highest T20 World Cup total, courtesy of Shimron Hetmyer, who scored the fastest fifty by a West Indian in the tournament’s history. Sherfane Rutherford surpassed Virat Kohli in an all-time record, as Zimbabwe lost by 107 runs.
