Axar Patel

Axar Patel being a bowling allrounder brings value in any of the formats because it allows India to bat deep. He was part of India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad where he picked three wickets. But his greatest moment came in the 2024 T20 World Cup where his performances helped India lift the trophy for the second time.

After the T20 World Cup 2024, Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit were the talk of the town. But it would be unfair not to mention the exploits of Axar in the tournament who bowled brilliantly, took a stunner of a catch and contributed with the bat too. Axar's 3 for 23 against England in the semifinal was as crucial as his 31-ball 47 in the final against South Africa where India were 34 for 3. A very underrated cricketer when his team-mates walk away with all the plaudits, but at the 2024 T20 World Cup, Axar was India's unsung hero.

After proving his worth and utility it is tough to drop Axar from any of the three formats. His World Cup heroics earned him berths in India's limited-overs squads for the Sri Lanka tour.

Axar is a left-arm orthodox spinner from the state of Gujarat. He started his journey in cricket at the age of 13 and made his List-A debut when he was just 18, in a Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Mumbai in 2012. Few months later in the same year he made his first-class debut too. The next season (2013-14) was a more memorable one, performance-wise, as he picked up 29 wickets and also scored important runs for the team.

In the sixth edition of the IPL, Axar was bought by Mumbai Indians and did not play any match. The Kings XI Punjab franchise spotted his talent and roped him in the next season. This investment brought dividends as he performed well for the Punjab franchise by picking 17 wickets in that season. Axar also rightfully won the 'Emerging Player of the Year' award in IPL 2014. He was retained for the 2015 edition by Punjab where he scored 206 runs batting down the order in addition to taking wickets. In the 2016 IPL, Axar claimed the only hat-trick of the edition. Ahead of the 2018 IPL season, Axar was bought by Delhi Capitals and he has continued to be with them since then.

Axar's good performances in the 2014 IPL earned him a place in the India squad for the ODI series in Bangladesh. His good returns in the series kept Ravindra Jadeja out of the side for the ODI series against Sri Lanka at home. His consistent performances made the selectors pick him for the 2015 World Cup squad in Australia and New Zealand. The conditions there being more pace-friendly, he did not get a chance to be in the playing XI. Axar was included in the squad that toured Bangladesh later in June.

Axar's journey in international cricket has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite missing out on the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy squad in favour of Jadeja, Axar's left-arm spin and lower-order batting ability have always marked him as a valuable asset. His patience and persistence paid off when, after nearly three years, he was recalled to the national team for the Test series against England in 2021, stepping in once again due to Jadeja's absence.

Seizing the opportunity with both hands, Axar delivered with a five-wicket haul in the second Test in Chennai. Notably, in the day-night Test in Ahmedabad, he claimed 11 wickets, finishing with the best bowling figures of the match. His extraordinary efforts saw him finish the series with 27 wickets, breaking Ajantha Mendis' record for the most wickets in a debut Test series.

Continuing his stellar form, Axar further established his credentials during the home Test series against New Zealand in November 2021. In the same series, he achieved the milestone of becoming the first Indian spinner to take five five-wicket hauls in his first four Tests. His maiden Test half-century against New Zealand and a match-winning performance in ODIs against the West Indies, where he scored an unbeaten half-century, underline his versatility and value across formats.