Axar Patel ruled out of T20I series due to illness:Shahbaz Ahmed receives maiden India call-up for against South Africa

Indian all-rounder Axar Patel has been ruled out of the remaining two T20I matches of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa due to illness, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Monday. In an official statement, the BCCI said that Axar will continue to stay with the Indian team in Lucknow and will undergo further medical assessment. The board also announced that Shahbaz Ahmed has been named as Axar Patel’s replacement for the fourth and fifth T20Is of the series. Axar had already missed the third T20I in Dharamshala because of illness, and his recovery has not progressed enough for him to return to action in the remaining matches. Shahbaz Ahmed named as replacement for Axar Patel The BCCI Men’s Selection Committee has selected Shahbaz Ahmed as Axar Patel’s replacement for the last two T20Is, which will be played in Lucknow and Ahmedabad. The fourth T20I is scheduled at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on December 17, while the fifth and final match will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19. Axar featured in the first two matches of the series against South Africa. In those games, he scored 44 runs at an average of 22.00 and picked up three wickets at an impressive bowling average of 11.33. India lead 2-1 in the T20I series against South Africa Meanwhile, India delivered a dominant performance in the third T20I at Dharamshala on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the series. India bundled out South Africa for just 117 runs in 20 overs before chasing down the target with ease. Arshdeep Singh (2/13) and Harshit Rana (2/34) set the tone with early wickets in the powerplay, while spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets each. South Africa skipper Aiden Markram was the lone fighter, scoring an unbeaten 61 off 46 balls. Comfortable chase for India in Dharamshala India’s chase was led by a solid opening stand of 60 runs between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Abhishek scored a quick 35 off 18 balls, while Gill added 28 runs. Despite a brief slowdown after a few wickets, Tilak Varma (25*) and Shivam Dube (10*) finished the chase in 15.5 overs, sealing a seven-wicket win for the hosts.