All-rounder Axar Patel will be one of India's most reliable all-rounders going into the T20 World Cup 2026.
India had a near perfect outing in the 1st T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur. However, the wonderful start to the five-match T20I series will have to be taken with a grain of salt. An Axar Patel injury propelled him to go off the field, and the all-rounder did not come back on.
The incident occurred on the third ball of his fourth over, when he tried to stop a ball hit hard by Daryl Mitchell off his own bowling. However, the ball ricocheted off his fingers and went towards the boundary, not before injuring the Indian all-rounder from Gujarat.
Moments later, Axar Patel went off the field with blood oozing out of his left index finger. The fact that the injury is right on his bowling arm will be a cause of concern for the Men in Blue. Moreover, the timing of the injury will not keep them too comfortable either.
An official word from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is awaited on the matter. Whether the Axar Patel injury will keep him out for too long will be determined in the coming days.
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With the likes of Washington Sundar ruled out of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, India will have huge hopes on Axar Patel to get back on the field as soon as possible. The all-rounder from Gujarat is India’s best spin-bowling all-rounder currently in the shortest format.
To add to that, the 32-year-old can also make valuable contributions with the bat – which he has shown in crunch moments like the T20 World Cup 2024 Final. The Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper bats in the lower-middle order usually, but can also play the anchor’s role.
What separates him from the rest in terms of his bowling, is his accuracy. Axar Patel cramps the batter for room and is known to be extremely quick through the air, which does not allow the batters a lot of time to react. He bowls some challenging overs and possesses an economy of 7.91, which is promising.
Additionally, Axar Patel is the only spinner in the squad who can take the ball away from the right-hander (apart from Abhishek Sharma). The all-rounder will be accessed further b y the medical team, after which an official word will be expected.
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