T20 World Cup 2026: Ravi Shastri says South Africa defeat was the ‘shakeup’ India needed
The heavy loss to South Africa in its Super Eight opener was the “shakeup” the title favourite India needed going into the business end of the T20 World Cup, said former head coach Ravi Shastri.
India will be desperate to make a strong comeback against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday after the heavy 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The loss against the Proteas, incidentally, was India’s first defeat after 12 successive victories across the last two editions of the T20 World Cup.
“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I’m glad it has come early. It might just be the shakeup India needed,” Shastri told on the latest episode of The ICC Review.
“It might also make them rethink their strategy as to the composition of the side going ahead. They would have learned from that last experience that they’re not going to take things for granted because in this Super Eight, if you lose one more (match), then you’re really putting yourself under serious pressure.”
Talking about the team composition for Thursday’s crucial match, Shastri advised India to play an extra spinner, given the spin-friendly conditions in India.
He was in favour of bringing in vice-captain Axar Patel, who was replaced by Washington Sundar in the last match.
“They have to bring him (Axar Patel) back. You need that experience. I would say play both (Patel and Sundar). 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 for example, Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday,” Shastri noted.
“If Axar Patel is playing, he might be batting at No. 8. You have got Hardik Pandya at No. 5. You’ve got Shivam Dube at No. 6. You’ve got Washington Sundar at No. 7. Axar can go at No. 5 as well.
“Now, if eight batters can’t do the job in T20 cricket, then something’s wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. Where you’re missing out is you’re not giving yourself that extra option of a bowler, which I think is important.”
Australia legend and ICC Hall of Famer, Ricky Ponting, too, feels that India missed a trick by not playing Axar against the Proteas, and expects the host to field its best possible XI against Zimbabwe.
“Listening to the commentary, the reason Axar didn’t play (against South Africa) is because of the left handers in the opposition side. But there’s still some right handers there. It just comes down to the art of the captain of being able to use Axar at the right time,” said Ponting, who has led Australia to two ODI World Cup triumphs.
“I would be going back to the basics. I’d be just looking at their lineup. Who’s our best XI for the conditions in Chennai? If that has Axar Patel in it, great. If it has Kuldeep Yadav in it, that’s the other one that I’d be thinking about bringing back, because it doesn’t matter with him if it’s left-hand or right-hand. He can bowl wrong ones and spin the ball away from the outside edge of both those batters,” he added.
Published on Feb 25, 2026
