“One bowler is going to have an off-day” - Ravi Shastri suggests changes in India’s playing XI vs Zimbabwe

Former Indian head coach and commentator Ravi Shastri has opened up on India’s 76-run defeat to South Africa in their first Super8 clash at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, which is currently underway in India and Sri Lanka.

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Speaking exclusively to the ICC Review, Shastri stated that he would love to see both Axar Patel and Washington Sundar in the XI, with Rinku Singh being benched for the clash against Zimbabwe.

"I would say play both. Give yourself that extra option because on a given day, you're bound to have one bowler who's going to have an off-day. Like Varun Chakaravarthy against South Africa wasn't at his best, and he paid the price for it. Which means Rinku Singh might have to miss out. But if he has to come in, he has to come in place of a specialist batter,” Ravi Shastri told the ICC Review.

Notably, the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, played the Super8 clash against the Proteas without their vice-captain Axar Patel, considering the match-ups. However, that ploy didn’t work for the hosts as they suffered a massive defeat.

"If Axar Patel is playing, he might be batting at 8. You've got Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Washington Sundar at 5, 6, and 7. And Axar can go at 5 as well. Now, if eight batters can't do the job in T20 cricket, then you know something is wrong, especially with that firepower. Where you're missing out is that you're not giving yourself that extra option of a bowler, which is important,” he added.

India will next take on Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26. Later, they will lock horns with the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1.

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