Ravi Shastri 'Glad' That India Lost To South Africa In T20 World Cup? Ex-Head Coach Makes Explosive Remark

Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri did not hold back as he delivered a brutal verdict on the Suryakumar Yadav-led side suffering a heavy loss against South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match. India were completely outplayed in Ahmedabad as they slumped to a 76-run loss. While the loss meant that India's road to the semifinals became extremely tough, Shastri was 'glad' that the loss came early in the competition and preferably, not towards its business end. He went on to claim that India will bounce back from the loss and backed them to learn from experience.

“I'm actually glad it's happened early, especially against a team that's tipped to make the semi-finals anyway. It might just be the shake-up India needed. It could also force them to rethink their strategy and the composition of the side going forward. I'm sure they'll bounce back. They would have learned from that experience and won't take things for granted. In the Super 8, if you lose another game, you're really putting yourself under serious pressure,” he said on the ICC Review.

There was also a lot of chatter around the decision to not play Axar Patel in the match against South Africa as his replacement - Washington Sundar - did not fare well. Shastri suggested that Axar should be included for the game against Zimbabwe and if needed, he should play alongside Washington.

“I think they've got to bring him back. You need that experience. I'd say play both if you can, give yourself that extra option, because on any given day one bowler is bound to have an off day. For example, Varun Chakravarthy wasn't at his best yesterday and paid the price for it. So you need that backup."

“That strengthens your No. 8. If Axar Patel is playing, he could bat at eight. You've got Hardik Pandya at five, Shivam Dube at six, Washington Sundar at seven and Axar at eight. Axar can even bat at five if required,” he said.

If both Axar and Washington play against Zimbabwe, Shastri believes that the team management will have to take the tough call to drop Rinku Singh.

“If eight batters can't get the job done in T20 cricket, then something's wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. Where you're falling short is not giving yourself that extra bowling option, which I think is important. That might mean Rinku Singh misses out, but if he comes in, it should be in place of a specialist batter.”

Topics mentioned in this article

Ravi Shastri Suryakumar Yadav Axar Patel Washington Sundar Rinku Singh Zimbabwe Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team India Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket