India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match: India all-rounder Axar Patel will miss the remaining two matches of the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa due to illness. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the development on Monday.
The 31-year-old travelled with the squad to Lucknow, where the penultimate match of the series will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed has been named as his replacement.
Axar played in the first two matches of the series but missed the third game in Dharamsala. He scored 44 runs across two innings and took three wickets in his appearances.
India’s updated squad for the remaining two games against South Africa is 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, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
Shahbaz Ahmed has represented India in two T20Is at the 2023 Asian Games, taking two wickets. He has also played three ODIs for India, claiming three wickets.
India leads the series 2-1 and will look to seal the victory in Lucknow. Shahbaz will be aiming to make an impact if given the opportunity.
