Axar Patel: The Unsung Hero of India’s T20 World Cup Triumph

Axar Patel played a crucial role in India’s victory at the T20 World Cup 2024, showcasing his skills as a bowler, fielder, and batter. His performance was instrumental, even if it didn’t always grab the headlines.

In the final match, Axar bowled three overs, taking 2 wickets for 23 runs. While these figures might seem ordinary in a T20 game, they were significant in an innings where the total score was 176. The question arises: why did he bowl only three overs? Keshav Maharaj, on the other hand, took two wickets in his first over and had an economy rate of 7.66 runs per over, compared to the innings run rate of 8.80. Yet, after the ninth over, Maharaj was not brought back into the attack.

Maharaj had bowled his full quota of overs in all his previous matches in the World Cup, and he might have done the same in the semi-final if his team hadn’t bowled out Afghanistan for 56. However, in the final, his fourth over was left unused. The reason was simple: Axar Patel’s batting.

Axar was asked to pad up unexpectedly by coach Rahul Dravid. He had been used as a flexible batter by India, making a crucial 20 runs from No. 4 in a low-scoring game against Pakistan in the group stage. But even Axar was surprised when he was sent in ahead of Shivam Dube in the final. “Suddenly, Rahul [Dravid] asked me to pad up. I didn’t get to think anything about my batting and that worked for me,” he said later.

The strategy was clear. Axar was supposed to bat at No. 8, so his wicket wasn’t highly valued. He usually doesn’t get to face many balls, and if India lost another quick wicket, they still had Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja to follow. His promotion effectively lengthened India’s batting line-up.

Moreover, it limited Maharaj’s impact on the game. Axar hit the first six of India’s innings by slog-sweeping Aiden Markram over midwicket. In the next over, he played the same shot off Maharaj and cleared the boundary, making Maharaj too risky to bowl against a left-hander.

Axar’s partnership with Virat Kohli was the biggest of the final, with Axar dominating the stand. They added 72 runs off 54 balls for the fourth wicket, with Kohli contributing 21 runs off 23 balls without hitting a boundary. Axar scored 47 off 31 balls, including a four and four sixes. Without Axar’s aggressive batting, Kohli might have had to take more risks earlier, which could have led to India either scoring 190 or collapsing for 140.

Axar’s innings was marked by his slog-sweep, including one off Tabraiz Shamsi that just evaded Kagiso Rabada’s dive at long-on. But his innings wasn’t just about swinging wildly; it was a display of high skill, highlighted by a straight-bat, high-elbow on-drive for six off Rabada.

Axar even timed his dismissal well, getting run out midway through the 14th over. This allowed Dube to make an impact from No. 6 and gave Kohli the freedom to attack in the final overs without fear of failure, with Hardik and Jadeja still to come.

While Axar might not have been a frontrunner for Player of the Tournament, he was the kind of player every champion team needs: a consistent contributor who can be effective in various roles. He bowled economically on New York’s seaming pitches, took a stunning catch against Australia in St Lucia, and played a crucial innings with the bat against South Africa in Barbados.

Axar’s spell of 3 for 23 against England in the semi-final was reminiscent of his performances against the same team in two Tests in Ahmedabad in 2021. He may not be the most talented player in the Indian team, but he excels at figuring out how to be effective in different conditions. In Guyana, the turn and low bounce made his straighter ball particularly dangerous.

The final could have turned out very differently for Axar. If South Africa had kept their composure with 30 runs needed off 30 balls, or if Suryakumar Yadav’s foot had touched the boundary cushion, Axar’s most memorable moment might have been his over to Heinrich Klaasen, which cost 24 runs, including two massive sixes. In a cricketing culture where players can quickly go from heroes to villains, Axar’s over would not have been forgotten easily.

Yet, despite the challenges, Axar’s contributions were pivotal. When the ball was retrieved from the stands after Klaasen’s sixes, it started to reverse-swing for Jasprit Bumrah just two overs later. This might have happened anyway, but it highlights how unpredictable sports—and life—can be.