Axar Patel

A relatively quick spin bowler, Axar Patel’s variations, especially arm-ball, deluded the English top order in the 2021 England tour of India that made him an overnight sensation all around the world.

In just his second first-class match in November 2013, Axar took 6/55 against a world-class Delhi lineup. That’s how the Nadiad-born prospect announced his arrival to the domestic circuit. Axar Patel was picked in the IPL 2013 edition by the Mumbai Indians but he could not earn his debut that season.

Based on his domestic performances, Axar was added to the U-23 squad of India for the 2013 ACC Emerging Teams Cup and took 7 wickets in the tournament. Within a year of making his debut, he became one of the keys and consistent performers for the Gujarat Ranji team. He finished the season with 369 runs and 29 wickets proving to be an explosive all-rounder.

Based on his consistent performances, Patel was also picked up for the Indian team for the ODIs and T20s but he could not cement his place after failing to make the most of the opportunities provided to him.

After being released by the Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab (Now Punjab Kings) bought the rising star. The coach and captain backed the youngster and he ended an impressive season picking up 17 wickets and was retained by them for the next season.

On May 1, 2016, Axar took 4 wickets in five balls including the first hat-trick in 2016 which led Punjab to a 23-run victory against the table-toppers Gujarat Lions. He was again retained by the Punjab Kings in the 2017 season. 

Delhi Capitals bought his service in the IPL 2019 auction for a whopping INR 5 crore and later retained for the upcoming season. Patel’s success gave balance to the Delhi lineup as he provided quick runs at the end of the innings and took wickets in the middle overs. 

His best with the ball for DC came in 2021 when he took 15 wickets at an economy of 6.55, however, his all-rounder prowess came to the fore in IPL 2023. Axar was a consistent performer from the Capitals batting unit, scoring 283 runs at a strike-rate of 139.41. The tweaker also bagged 12 wickets to top off a great season overall.

In January 2021, Axar was picked in the Indian Test squad against England. He made his Test debut in the second Test when India was 1-0 down in the series. He made a splendid comeback to international cricket after almost three years and dismissed Joe Root for just 6 runs. He ended up taking a maiden five-wicket haul in the second innings becoming the first spinner for India to take five wickets in a D/N Test match. 

In the penultimate match against England, he took his maiden ten-wicket haul and recorded the best figures in a D/N Test match. He became the fastest Indian bowler to bag 50 Test wickets in terms of number of balls bowled in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

The left-arm spinner whacked an ODI fifty against the West Indies in July, 2022 and also notched up maiden T20I fifty against Sri Lanka in January, 2023. He played a crucial knock of 74 runs in the second Test against Australia in 2023 and had a major contribution in India's victory.

After facing a snub in T20 World Cup 2021, Axar redeemed himself in the following edition of the tournament, forming the core of India’s squad. But his performance in the competition turned out to be rather mediocre.

While playing in the Asia Cup 2023, he sustained a quadriceps strain that forced him out of India’s squad for the ODI World Cup 2023. 

He became the 11th Indian bowler to complete 200 T20 wickets in the series against Afghanistan in January 2024.

Axar continued his brilliant form in the shortest format for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. He scored 235 runs, coming down in the batting order. With the ball, the left-arm spinner picked up 11 wickets in 14 matches. Thanks to his good run in the IPL, he was named in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, set to be played in the Caribbean and the USA. 

(As of May 2024)