In the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India fell short against South Africa, losing by 76 runs. Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back in his critique of the batting line-up, emphasizing that a player of Rinku Singh’s caliber should not be batting at number eight. He pointed out that the ‘Men in Blue’ appeared ill-prepared for the clash against South Africa. ‘When you have eight batsmen and one of them is Rinku Singh, he shouldn’t be coming in at number eight. I mean no disrespect to Sundar; he’s an excellent batter. However, South Africa has shown us that we can’t afford to be underprepared for these crucial games,’ Ashwin remarked.
He suggested that Rinku should have been slotted at number five instead, asserting that expecting Sundar to perform in a high-pressure situation at that position was unrealistic. ‘I would have preferred to see Rinku batting at five. They seemed to view Washi as a direct replacement for Axar, but experience matters. Axar has faced high-pressure scenarios successfully; asking Washi to step in at number five in such a critical match was too much. By the time Rinku came in at eight, the game was virtually over. We need to be more sensible about our strategy,’ Ashwin added.
Looking ahead, Ashwin anticipates that rival teams will aim to put India in a chasing role, which will pose a significant challenge. ‘Going forward, teams will likely want India to chase, and that’s going to be our biggest hurdle if opponents plan well,’ he noted.
The recent defeat has complicated India’s path to the semi-finals, as they need to win their remaining two matches with a solid net run rate to keep their T20 World Cup title defense alive. Next up, they will face Zimbabwe on February 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (With ANI Inputs)