T20 World Cup 2026: Sitanshu Kotak explains reason behind Axar Patel’s omission in Super Eight clash

Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir had a conversation with Axar Patel ahead of the Super Eight clash against South Africa. He emphasised that the experienced all-rounder’s confidence would not be affected by the selection decision, which saw him left out of the playing XI with Washington Sundar preferred in his place.

Axar was also not included in India’s final group-stage match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The decision was based on team combination, with management opting for an off spinner to tighten the grip on left-handed batters.

“See, obviously, Surya[kumar Yadav] and Gautam [Gambhir] both spoke to him. Which is obvious, whether we say it or not. We thought that an off-spinner was needed because three left-handers upfront. We got the wickets in the beginning. Washington didn’t bowl in the Powerplay,” said Kotak as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“But, actually, he was supposed to bowl in a Powerplay. So, that can change according to the match. For that reason, this combination was decided. And the rest – what you are saying about confidence – Axar is such a player; he has played so much and performed so much, he doesn’t lack confidence. It was very clear from him, and from the head coach and the captain, what we are thinking and why we are doing this,” he added.

Kotak also admitted that the team management may need to reconsider the opening combination, with Sanju Samson potentially coming into the equation. While Ishan Kishan has been in decent form, scoring 176 runs in five matches, his opening partner Abhishek Sharma has struggled in the ongoing tournament, registering three ducks.

“See, basically, if we felt that Sanju’s last few innings were low on confidence and Ishan was scoring runs, then obviously you go with Ishan. Now we are in a situation where we have to think about whether we need to change anything or if we should still go with the same thing. But yes, it is definitely something to think about. If we have to change something, what do we change and how do we change it?,” said Kotak.

Having lost one Super Eight match, India find themselves under pressure and in a must-win situation for their remaining two fixtures. However, Kotak maintained that the players are accustomed to handling high-pressure scenarios and are confident of responding strongly.

India are scheduled to face Zimbabwe and West Indies in their remaining Super Eight matches. Along with securing victories, the team will also need to significantly improve their Net Run Rate, which could prove decisive in determining qualification for the next stage.

“See, I feel that even in a normal game, if you play in India, there is natural pressure. Any professional – any batsman or bowler – feels it when they are playing. There is more pressure on the batsman because it is a one-ball game. For a bowler, it is different. If he misses one or two balls, he can still bowl a good one,” said Kotak.

“So there will be pressure. That is the whole thing. But there are two matches left. We know where we are. One bad day we had – we have to accept it – we did not play well. And we will have to move forward and try to win the two games properly because we do not have any other option, whether we take pressure or not,” he added.

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