With Ravindra Jadeja also in the lineup, Axar Patel’s selection in the playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2024 generated a lot of hype. His preference during the competition’s group stage over Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal raised questions about his position on the squad. Still, the all-rounder showed his worth and became one of India’s match-winners as the competition went on.
The 30-year-old occasionally received a promotion in the batting order and was given the ball during the powerplay, but Axar never voiced any complaints and went on to become the Indian team’s unsung hero. During the final, India was down to 34/3 when Axar struck a crucial 47 runs off of 31 deliveries, giving India the momentum they needed to win the match by seven wickets.
Axar’s performance left former Indian cricketer Sunil Joshi quite impressed, saying he is becoming more astute every time. He mentioned how adaptable the Southpaw is to all circumstances and how much better and sharper he is becoming.
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“Axar Patel bowled fairly well, even in the New York pitch, where the spinners didn’t get much assistance. He is a person who is constantly trying to read the wicket, change up his length, and change up his tempo. As a cricket player, he’s only becoming sharper,” Joshi stated to The Telegraph.
Because he is a clever cricketer, Axar can adapt to bat at any position. Joshi, the Punjab Kings’ current spin bowling coach, noted that the more experienced he becomes, the better and sharper he seems to be getting.
Undoubtedly, Axar Patel now holds a more important role in the group: An official from BCCI
Axar’s role in the team has grown more important, according to a BCCI official, and he will have enough of opportunities following Jadeja’s retirement from T20I cricket. He believes that the all-rounder will now be a given because he brought up Axar’s pivotal knock in the championship game.
“Axar’s role inside the team has undoubtedly grown more important following such a strong showing in this World Cup. In the end, his batsmanship was almost as important as that of Kohli, as his strokes provided the side with much-needed impetus following the loss of three significant wickets. So he’s now as good as an automatic pick in T20Is at least, according to a BCCI official.
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