New Delhi [India], December 15 : The Indian all-rounder Axar Patel has been ruled out of the remaining two T20I matches of the five-match series against South Africa due to illness, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday.
The BCCI said in its statement that the star all-rounder will be with the Indian side in Lucknow and that Patel will undergo further medical assessment. In place of Axar Patel, the BCCI Men's Selection Committee named Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement for the remaining T20I matches against South Africa in Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
The fourth T20I between India and South Africa will be held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on December 17. The fifth and final T20I between the two countries will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19.
Axar Patel played first and second T20Is against South Africa in the ongoing five-match series. The star all-rounder missed the third T20I in Dharamshala due to illness. In two matches against the Proteas, Axar scored 44 runs at an average of 22.00 and picked up three wickets at a bowling average of 11.33.
Meanwhile, India displayed a clinical performance, with standout performances from Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh, powered the hosts to a seven-wicket win against South Africa at Dharamshala on Sunday.
India has taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. After bundling out Proteas for 117 in 20 overs, India made easy work of the chase, chasing 118 down in 15.5 overs with seven wickets in hand.
South Africa was put to bat by India, who won the toss. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, with a fiery powerplay spell delivered by Arshdeep Singh (2/13) and Harshit Rana (2/34). Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav also picked two, leaving SA skipper Aiden Markram (61* in 46 balls, with six fours and two sixes) as their lone warrior as the Proteas were bundled out for 117 in 20 overs.
Abhishek Sharma (35 in 18 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Shubman Gill (28 in 28 balls, with five fours) started with a quickfire 60-run stand. While there was a brief slump in run rate with a few quick wickets, Tilak Varma (25* in 34 balls, with three fours) and Shivam Dube (10* in four balls) ended the chase in 15.5 overs, with seven wickets left.
India's updated squad for the last two T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed.