IND vs SL 3RD T20: Watch as Axar Patel INVITES fans for SERIES DECIDING 3rd T20, says ‘It’s my home’, we will make RAJKOT 3RD T20 special for FANS: Follow India vs SriLanka LIVE

IND vs SL 3rd T20: Axar Patel has sent a special message to his home crowd of Gujarat ahead of the series decider. India and Sri Lanka face off in the third and final T20I of the three-match series on January 7 in Rajkot. Men in Blue will be looking to bounce back and win their first series of the year. And ahead of the crucial match, the star all-rounder Axar Patel opened up about his bond with the crowd at Rajkot and said that team will make the 3RD T20 special for FANS. Follow India vs SriLanka LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN

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IND vs SL 3RD T20: Watch as Axar Patel INVITES fans for SERIES DECIDING 3rd T20, says ‘It’s my home’, we will make RAJKOT 3RD T20 special for FANS: Follow India vs SriLanka LIVE

Following a 16-run victory against the hosts in a high-scoring 2nd T20I on Thursday at the MCA Stadium in Pune, the visitors recovered to tie the series at 1-1. Both teams will attempt to gain momentum ahead of the ODI series, which gets underway on January 10.

In a video posted by BCCI after the 2nd T20I in which Axar smashed his maiden T20I 50, the all-rounder opened up about his intentions during the match. He also talked about the series-decider.

🗣️🗣️ @akshar2026 talks about his valiant quick-fire maiden T20I fifty, those 3 sixes off Hasaranga & shares a special message for #TeamIndia fans ahead of the #INDvSL T20I series decider in Rajkot 👌🏻👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/IwhnVHkEvk

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 6, 2023

Axar Patel smashes Maiden T20I 50

All-rounder Axar Patel gave it his all against Sri Lanka but came up short. In the T20I format, the left-handed batter slammed his first fifty. In a rare record, he also bested Ravindra Jadeja, the star all-rounder of India.

Axar currently holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian batting at position 7 or below in a men’s T20I. The previous best was 44*, set in 2020 by Ravindra Jadeja. Despite his valour, the Men in Blue lost the second T20I at the MCA in Pune by a score of 16 runs.

Few cricket fans would have predicted that Axar Patel would feature in the list of India’s fastest fifty-run scorers in the T20Is before this match. In the 2nd T20I on Thursday against Sri Lanka, the southpaw stunned everyone by scoring the joint-5th fastest fifty for India, along with Yuvraj Singh, off just 20 deliveries.

After Gautam Gambhir’s 19-ball fifty in 2009, this is also the second-fastest half-century by an Indian against the Lankan team in T20I cricket. In Sri Lanka’s top bowler, Wanindu Hasaranga’s over, Axar hit a hat-trick of sixes and also reached his fifty with an incredible six.