Axar had mixed returns in the first two games. In Cuttack, he scored 23 off 21 and took 2 for 7 in a winning cause. In New Chandigarh, he picked up 1 for 27 from three overs and then, with India chasing 214, he was promoted to No. 3. He could score only a run-a-ball 21.
Shahbaz has played three ODIs and two T20Is for India, the last of which was the 2023 Asian Games final against Afghanistan in Hangzhou. He had lukewarm returns in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Bengal, he scored only 60 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 133.33 and took four wickets at an economy of 8.25.
After the fourth T20I in Lucknow, the teams will move to Ahmedabad for the finale. India currently lead the five-match series 2-1.
India’s updated squad for last two T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed
