‘The team management told me…’: Axar Patel on his role as a batsman in T20 World Cup

In this T20 World Cup, Axar Patel has proved himself with the ball against the Netherlands, but has yet to match Ravindra Jadeja’s prowess with the bat.
With two wins from two matches, India have made a stunning start to the T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue currently top the points table in their group. Ahead of the marquee match, an injury-hit India team replaced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with Axar Patel and pacer Jasprit Bumrah with Mohammed Shami. Injury-setbacks have not cost India much as the substitutes have risen to the occasion.

Akshar has proven himself with the ball but is yet to match Jadeja’s prowess with the bat. On 23 October, he was moved up the batting order during India’s chase against Pakistan to negotiate the threat of left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and leg-spinner Shadab Khan. But the 28-year-old was run out after a collision with Virat Kohli.

“They (Pakistan) had left-arm spinner Nawaz and leg-spinner Shadab, so it was important to send in a left-armer and I was asked to go. As our first six are right-armers, the management told me that I need to be promoted in the middle overs and that I have to be ready. The role has already been reserved and I have played practice matches,” Aksar told the media.