Gautam Gambhir's controversial team selection, specifically benching Axar Patel for Washington Sundar, ignited fan fury after India's defeat to South Africa in the T20 World Cup, raising questions about the coach's tactical decisions.
India's perfect run in the T20 World Cup came to a halt on Sunday, February 22, 2026, night at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, as South Africa ended their 12-match winning streak in emphatic fashion.
For fans watching in disbelief, the result almost felt secondary to the burning question that had lit up social media well before the first ball was bowled: Why on earth was Axar Patel not playing?
The decision to bench India's vice-captain in favour of Washington Sundar sparked outrage. Fans flooded X with a mix of confusion and fury, with reactions ranging from disbelief to scathing criticism directed squarely at Coach Gautam Gambhir.
'Can someone tell me why Axar Patel is dropped with his OG T20I performances?' one fan asked, echoing a sentiment that was rapidly going viral.
'Does anything make sense under Gambhir?' posted another.
The tactical reasoning, as explained by Captain Suryakumar Yadav at the toss, centred on South Africa's batting line-up, which featured three left-handed batters in the top five.
As a left-arm spinner, Axar's angles would theoretically have been easier for them to read and attack. Sundar, an off-spinner, was expected to take the ball away from the left-handers and offer a different challenge.
On paper, the logic had merit. On the pitch, it unravelled spectacularly.
Sundar was introduced in the seventh over and immediately conceded 11 runs to Dewald Brevis and David Miller. When Sundar was reintroduced in the 14th over, he gave away another six before being quietly shelved for the rest of the innings. His final figures read: 2 overs, 17 runs, 0 wickets.
The tactical mismatch fans were promised never materialised. And the social media backlash was brutal.
'Can somebody tell me why Washington Sundar is not even bowling to David Miller, if he was selected over Axar with the lefties excuse?' one user demanded.
It wasn't just the bowling that drew criticism. Sundar was promoted to bat at number five -- another call that raised eyebrows and contributed just 11 off 11 balls before falling to Corbin Bosch.
Axar Patel has been a reliable wicket-taker with the ball, a destructive lower-order hitter with the bat and one of the team's most dependable death-over operators. His absence against South Africa, a side India desperately needed to beat, felt not just puzzling but costly.