Axar Patel has become Team India’s man of crisis. Whenever Rohit Sharma needs someone to rescue the team, he’s turned to the all-rounder. With India 19/2 against Pakistan, it was Axar who was sent to save Team India, and he did so splendidly, ending as India’s second-highest scorer of the day.
With the ball, barring the game against Bangladesh, he’s taken at least one wicket in all the matches he’s played in the T20 World Cup. Axar saved his best in the semifinal, taking a great 3-fer and handing England a 68-run victory. The southpaw stood up once again, this time in the biggest match of all, the final.
Axar Patel: Big-match player
With India 34/3 in 4.3 overs, Axar came out and batted with freedom. He took South African spinners down, hitting Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Aiden Markram for a six each, and then hit a handsome six straight down the ground at Kagiso Rabada as well.
Where Virat Kohli should have been the better batter, it was handy Axar Patel, who looked like a million bucks while Kohli struggled at the other end. He fell short of his maiden fifty of the event due to a rare slip-up as Quinton de Kock ran the all-rounder out.
But that won’t take away from the shine from his inning (31-ball 47). Not to forget that Axar will return with the ball and is expected to do some serious damage to the right-handed heavy Proteas side in the T20 World Cup Final.
Axar Patel’s T20 World Cup 2024 stats
- Batting – Runs: 92, Average: 30.66, SR: 139.39
- Bowling – Wickets: 8, Average: 15.5, Econ: 6.88, SR: 13.5
- Fielding – Catches: 4
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