Updated 25 February 2026 at 16:54 IST
Ricky Ponting urged India to self-discipline their handiest XI over matchups vs Zimbabwe, whereas Ravi Shastri backed Axar Patel’s return, suggesting both Patel and Sundar would possibly possibly well enhance India’s Tall 8 lineup.
Axar Patel and Harmeet Singh at some level of the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and the United States in Mumbai | Listing:
AP
Venerable legendary Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting is of the opinio that the Indian team would possibly possibly well restful be specializing in taking half of their handiest XI in desire to looking out out for to salvage the matchups fair, when they face Zimbabwe of their subsequent Tall Eight conflict on Thursday in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
“Listening to the commentary, the reason Axar didn’t play (against South Africa) is because of the left-handers in the opposition side. But there’s still some right-handers there. It just comes down to the art of the captain of being able to use Axar at the right time,” Ponting mentioned on the most up-to-date episode of The ICC Evaluation.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led facet misplaced their first Tall Eight fixture in opposition to South Africa by a mighty margin of 76 runs in Ahmedabad, and now, India will subsequent rob on Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday, earlier than wrapping up the Tall Eight stage on Sunday in opposition to the West Indies in Kolkata.
“I would be going back to the basics. I’d be just looking at their lineup. Who’s our best XI for the conditions in Chennai?” added Ponting, who has led Australia to 2 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup triumphs.
“If that has Axar Patel in it, great. If it has Kuldeep Yadav in it, that’s the other one that I’d be thinking about bringing back because it doesn’t matter with him if it’s left-hand or right-hand. He can bowl wrong ones and spin the ball away from the left-hand outside edge of both those batters,” mentioned Ponting.
Quality spinners maintain made an impact at the T20 World Cup, especially in the suits performed in India. Venerable Indian cricketer and now commentator, Ravi Shastri, furthermore believed that India will fabricate changes in the taking half in XI and Axar Patel would possibly possibly well play th match in opposition to Zimbabwe.
“I think they have to bring him (Axar Patel) back. You need that experience,” mentioned Shastri.
He mentioned, “I would impart play both (Patel and Sundar). Give yourself that extra choice. On story of on a given day, you’re trudge to maintain one bowler who’s going to maintain an off day. Cherish, as an illustration, Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday. He used to be now not at his handiest, and he paid the worth for it. If Axar Patel is taking half in, he can also very properly be batting at No.8. You’ve got got gotten got Hardik Pandya at No.5, you’ve got Shivam Dube at No.6, you’ve got Washington Sundar at No.7. Axar can lunge at No.5 as properly.”
“Now, if eight batters can’t do the job in T20 cricket, then something’s wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. What you’re missing out on is that you’re not giving yourself that extra option of a bowler, which I think is important. Rinku Singh might have to miss out. But if he has to come in, he has to come in place of a specialist batter,” concluded Shastri.
Printed By : Pavitra Shome
Printed On: 25 February 2026 at 16:54 IST
