T20 World Cup 2026: 'He was angry... I apologized', big revelation by world champion captain Suryakumar Yadav

Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted that dropping Axar Patel in the Super 8 match against South Africa was a mistake. In a recent interview, Surya revealed that Axar Patel was deeply disappointed by the decision and personally apologized to him after the match.

This decision came as a shock to India in the form of a crushing defeat against the African team. Team India lost only to South Africa in the entire tournament. However, Axar Patel missed the final group stage match, against the Netherlands, due to injury.

The decision to play Washington Sundar against South Africa was a strategic one. Suryakumar spoke openly about the decision to suffer the loss in that match and his conversation with Axar.

Why did Suryakumar Yadav apologize to Axar Patel?

In fact, in a conversation with the Indian Express, Captain Surya said,

He (Axar) was very angry, and rightfully so. He's an experienced player who captains a franchise, so it's justified for him to be upset. I apologize, and I told him it was my mistake and he should forgive me, but it was a decision for the entire team. It was a difficult conversation. He took it in stride, and we discussed it the next day. - Suryakumar Yadav

Meanwhile, Axar Patel described India's historic victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 as an emotional and memorable moment. He revealed that the victory became even more significant because his son watched him play from the stands for the first time.

After India successfully defended their T20 World Cup title, Axar shared his feelings on the social media platform X, adding another historic chapter to the country's cricketing achievements.

Axar Patel wrote on X, "Winning the World Cup is something you dream of as a child. But today it felt even more special knowing that our little Axar was in the stands watching his father play for the first time. This will always be close to my heart." I will always cherish this moment. - Axar Patel

On March 8, 2026, the Indian team defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win a record third T20 World Cup title. With this victory, Team India became the first team to win their first T20 World Cup title at home and the first to win two consecutive T20 World Cups. They also became the only team to win the trophy three times (2007, 2008, and 2026).