Due to illness, India’s all-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the final two Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa on Monday. Shahbaz Ahmed was named as his replacement by the BCCI’s selection committee.
Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was in the playing XI for Sunday’s third Twenty20 International in Dharamsala, and Axar was also absent. India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after defeating South Africa by seven wickets in a low-scoring game.
The final two games of the five-match series will take place on Wednesday in Lucknow and on Friday in Ahmedabad.
“Team India allrounder, Axar Patel has been ruled out of the remaining two IDFC First Bank T20Is against South Africa due to illness,” said a statement from BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
“However, he is with the team in Lucknow where he will be further medically assessed. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement for the T20Is in Lucknow and Ahmedabad,” the statement added.
Shahbaz Ahmed, 31, has taken five wickets in two Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals. He entered the team with some encouraging performances in this season’s Ranji and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches.
India’s updated squad for last two T20Is: 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
