Is Axar Patel Playing Today in IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup Match?

The Indian Cricket Team will be up against the Zimbabwe in their second game of the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26.

It is a must-win clash for India as they are hanging by a thread in this edition's ICC T20 World Cup. They lost to South Africa in their previous clash, which has put them under pressure, making their qualification difficult. Apart from winning their two games, they need some results to go their way as well.

One of the talking points and reasons behind India’s loss to South Africa was the team selection. Not making Axar Patel play despite him being the vice-captain saw India facing huge criticism. They played Washington Sundar over him and wasn't even trusted much with the ball.

Sundar failed to score runs with the bat and also bowled just two overs. He leaked runs at an economy of over 8 and this raised calls for the inclusion of Axar Patel for the IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup match.

Is Axar Patel Playing Today Match Against Zimbabwe?

With the match against Zimbabwe being a must-win clash, India would be keen to play their best XI as a win here would keep them alive in the tournament. For that, Axar Patel is expected to be in the mix and there are possibilities that the vice-captain might return to the playing 11 for the IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 match.

Various media outlets have claimed that Axar Patel is all set to get back in the Indian XI. He is set to replacing Washington Sundar as India look to win the Zimbabwe clash by a massive margin to keep their hopes alive.

Vice-captain Axar Patel T20 World Cup 2026 performance has been good so far. He has picked up 6 wickets in 3 matches with two of them coming in the greatest rivalry in cricket against Pakistan. His return will boost India’s batting as well.

Axar Patel's Recent Contributions in Important Matches

Axar Patel has been a key component of India's white-ball teams, both with bat and ball. He is arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world. Not only he has the ability to pick up wickets at any stage, he has also been used as floater in the batting order.

One of his most famous knocks came in the T20 World Cup 2024 final when he stitched a crucial partnership with Virat Kohli to steady India's ship. His knock helped India lift the title later.