Setback for India! Axar Patel ruled out of remainder of South Africa T20Is: Report

Axar Patel ruled out vs SA [Source: AFP Photo]

In the latest development, star Indian all-rounder Axar Patel has reportedly been ruled out of the remainder of the South Africa T20I series due to illness. He missed the third T20I of the series, and while an official update is yet to come from the BCCI, report reveals that Axar will not take any further part against the Proteas.

The exact illness is yet to be disclosed, but according to reports by Sports Tak, Axar has been ruled out and is likely to be back for the white-ball series against New Zealand next month.

An official replacement for Axar has not been revealed, but most likely, India will go ahead with the same combination in the 4th T20I that won the previous game in Dharamsala. Apart from Axar, Bumrah also missed the 3rd match due to a personal reason, and there is no update on his arrival for the next match in Lucknow.

Will India miss Axar's services for the remainder of T20Is?

Axar was unable for the third T20I vs South Africa, and India didn’t need his services as the other bowlers chipped in with their skills and dismantled the Proteas lineup for a mere 117. In terms of the bowling aspect, India might not miss Axar as the team also has Washington Sundar as like-for-like replacement.

Moreover, his batting has also been underwhelming, as the all-rounder has a strike rate of just 104 in the ongoing series and has scalped 3 wickets in the two T20I matches.

With plenty of batting and bowling options, India is likely not to miss the services of Axar for the last two T20I matches against a power-packed opponent.

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